This week our word is “terroir” - meaning the way a specific area influences the crops it nourishes. In the NC Piedmont, corn has long been a staple crop. For indigenous peoples from Mexico to Montana, the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) are planted together.  In her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer writes, " Of all the wise teachers who have come into my life, none are more eloquent than these, who wordlessly in leaf and vine embody the knowledge of relationship. Alone, a bean is just a vine, squash an oversize leaf. Only when standing together with corn does a whole emerge which transcends the individual. The gifts of each are more fully expressed when they are nurtured together than alone. In ripe ears and swelling fruit, they counsel us that all gifts are multiplied in relationship. This is how the world keeps going," 

Here is a cornbread recipe to try: Southern Cornbread Recipe

"Mom always made these beans for picnics, outdoor meals (which we often did), and family gatherings. For me, the beans remind me of the stability of our family and the traditions of eating outside as often as the weather allowed." - Chris Fulkerson  Mom's Baked Beans

"For me, risotto is a dish to teach patience. It’s not hard to make, but there are a lot of steps. It’s the constant stirring that both calls for and teaches patience! I find the stirring to be a kind of meditation. Ingredients: olive oil (3 tbsp or enough."   - Pastor Claire   Pastor Claire's Risotto

“One of the many advantages of being a PK (preacher’s kid) is living in a lot of places and getting a lot of good recipes.  I lived in Goldsboro from age 4 to age 7.  Jonnie Faye and Walton Thompson were a couple in our church that I remember very well, even though that was a long time ago."- Susan Brink    Brunswick Stew