Indigenous Food Lab

06/18/2026

Forage and Prepare Recipes 

Sautéed Goldenrod Shoots

Since beginning this "Forage and Prepare" series, Our Education and Media Teams have been on an exciting journey learning about the wonderful uses and benefits of these incredible plants.

Through extensive research into each plant—including processing methods, flavor profiles, and nutritional benefits—they have found there is truly so much to honor in these indigenous plant foods. 

Goldenrod is an abundant plant that grows well in our region. The best time to forage goldenrod shoots is early in the season when they are about 8 -12 inches above the soil. 

In this series, we foraged them in the early spring and sautéed them with an easy asian inspired sauce paired with indigenous ingredients. 

Here is the recipe below:

 1-2 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
 1-2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
 1 tbsp organic sunflower oil or bison tallow
 2 cloves of garlic minced
 1 tbsp fresh minced ginger
 1 tbsp maple syrup
 2-4 oz golden rod shoots

Please find the instructions for preparing the goldenrod shoots below:

1. Clean: Wash the goldenrod shoots thoroughly to remove any soil or debris.
2. Prep: Optionally, remove the lower leaves to better expose the shoots.
3. Blanch: Place the shoots in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, or until they reach your desired tenderness.
4. Dry: Strain the shoots and spread them out to dry. Set aside.
5. Chop: Use a knife or a mortar and pestle to grind sunflower seeds to a fine-to-medium coarse consistency.
6. Sauce: Create a paste with fresh garlic cloves and ginger root using a microplane or zest grater. Mix well with tamari or soy sauce and maple syrup.
7. Heat: Heat a pan over medium heat and add your choice of oil or tallow.
8. Sauté: Pour the sauce into the pan and allow it to caramelize and thicken slightly. Add the goldenrod shoots, using chopsticks or tongs to gently toss until they are evenly coated.
9. Serve: The dish is ready to be served at room temperature.

ENJOY!!

06/17/2026

Join farmers Luke and Linda Black Elk as they introduce us to techniques for processing and preserving milkw**d – a plant often treated as a "w**d" but that has the potential to be a marketable, secondary crop for sustainability-minded farmers and land managers!

For best practices for foraging and harvesting Indigenous and wild plants tips, visithttps://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/foraging-harvesting-indigenous-wild-plants-best-practices.pdf

For more information on milkw**d identification and harvesting information, visithttps://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/mountain-plains-region-indigenous-wild-plant-list.pdf

To learn more about other “w**ds” that can be secondary crops, check out this “Turning w**ds into Secondary Crops” video.

This project is supported by the USDA Office of Tribal Relations.

06/11/2026

It's PRIDE Month!! 🏳️‍🌈

We are thrilled to announce that NATIFS will attend St. Paul Pride! By participating in this and other upcoming Pride events, we honor and support the resilience of the LGBTQIA+ and Two-Spirit communities.

At NATIFS, our mission is to empower Indigenous communities across Turtle Island through cultural reconnection and the fostering of sustainable Indigenous food sovereignty. We believe that everyone deserves dignified access to nourishment, regardless of gender identity or expression.

It is vital to recognize the specific challenges faced by Two-Spirit individuals, particularly those experiencing discrimination in the workforce, hunger, or housing instability. We are committed to supporting paths toward health and sovereignty for all members of our community.

If you would like to support Two-Spirit communities, please consider making a donation to the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC), which operates the Two Spirit/Native LGBTQIA+ program.

Phidáuŋyayapi

06/11/2026

Solidago canadensis is a species of goldenrod native to many parts of Turtle Island. Late this summer, as you’re driving down the road, keep your eyes open for its bright, yellow plumes of flowers. Along with eating the young shoots and flowers, the entire plant makes an incredible tea that’s traditionally used to treat upper respiratory infections. 

Goldenrod is also an amazing pollinator plant that brings butterflies and bees to your garden! Many people mistakenly blame goldenrod for their seasonal allergies, but goldenrod pollen is too heavy to be carried by the wind, so it’s not to blame for your sinus issues!

06/08/2026

Forage and Prepare Recipe Series

Spicy Sochan

Our latest recipe features a fusion of two traditional ingredients: Sochan, a staple plant of the Cherokee people, and gochugaru, a chili pepper central to Korean cuisine. This dish is a unique take on Banchan, the traditional Korean communal side dishes served to complement a main meal.

Recipe:
4 cups of blanched Sochan
1/2-1 cup of gochugaru chili flakes, fine or coarse (taste as you go to dial in how spicy you like it).
Salt (optional)
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
4-8 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp Apple Cider vinegar

Please find the cooking instructions for the sochan recipe below:

Cooking Instructions:

1. Clean: Submerge the sochan in water to clean. Drain in a colander or remove the greens and shake off any remaining water.
2. Prepare: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. While waiting, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water.
3. Blanch: Submerge the sochan in the boiling water for 45 seconds to a minute.
4. Shock: Remove the sochan with tongs and immediately place them in the ice bath to halt the cooking process. This keeps the texture crisp and the color vibrant. Once cooled, remove the greens, drain well in a colander, and squeeze out excess moisture by hand. Place the greens in a bowl.
5. Prepare Garlic: Microplane the peeled garlic cloves to create a wet paste. This technique ensures a stronger flavor and seamless texture.
6. Mix: Add the garlic paste and all remaining ingredients to the bowl with the sochan. Using your hands, gently coat and mix everything together. Adjust the spice level to your preference by tasting as you go.

Notes:

- Gochugaru can be found at local Asian markets or ordered online.
- For this recipe, we used about 1tsp of kosher salt and approximately 1/2 cup of gochugaru chili flakes.

We hope you enjoy this fresh and vibrant dish!

06/05/2026

Sochan isn’t just an amazing food and medicine, it is a culturally important plant that connects people to land, food, community, language, and culture. The term sochan comes from the Cherokee word ᏐᏨᎾ, or so-cha-ni. Until 2019, it was actually illegal for the Cherokee people to harvest sochan within their traditional territories that now lay within National Park boundaries. We believe Native people should not need permission to gather plants on their own homelands. Yet the Cherokee fought to have access to this amazing plant and now gather within Great Smoky Mountains National Park under the “Gathering of Certain Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional Purposes" (36 CFR 2.6). We are grateful for the legacy of Cherokee activism and for the stewardship of Sochan for future generations.

05/29/2026

Our open house was a success!! It was so great seeing so many familiar faces and meeting many new friends in the community! Wopila tanka, chi miigwech, muchas gracias!

Special thanks to for helping make everything so wonderful!

Shout out to our NATIFS team. None of this is possible without you all!

05/21/2026

05/21/2026

In our 5th installment of the Forage and Prepare Series, we introduce you to the Spring Beauty. 

"Spring Beauty might be one of the most appropriate English names for a native plant. This gorgeous spring ephemeral signals renewal and joy as it sprinkles its delicately pinkish blossoms across the forest floor. Not only is it beautiful, but it's also a delicious traditional food for Tribal Nations across central and eastern North America. There's still time to witness the beauty of spring with our plant relative - spring beauty - so get outside and build relationships with your plant neighbors!"

Recipe:
Spring Beauties with Wild Rice

 - 1 cup hand-harvested wild rice
  - Organic dried blueberries and sliced cranberries
  - Toasted pepita and sunflower seeds
  - A handful of spring beauties
  - 1 tsp of Salt

I wanted to share some tips for preparing Spring Beauties.

To prepare the corms, start by removing the roots and separating them from the stem; they look like small potatoes. You can either scrub off the mud from the exterior before cooking or peel them afterward. Boil the corms in salted water for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on their size. The salt helps them taste just like salted baby potatoes.

You can also prepare the greens, as the stems, flowers, and leaves are all edible. This dish is truly one of the freshest and earthiest delights experienced.

Enjoy!!

05/15/2026

We are excited to showcase one of our newer products available at our Indigenous Food Lab market, which is sold exclusively online!

Catspring Yaupon is the only 100% native caffeinated plant to North America. We have three different varieties to pick from:

  - Pedernales Green: Our favorite! It’s smooth and light without the bitterness.
  - Medium Roast
  - Dark Roast

You can find all three varieties on our website and for more information check out