Good Berry Salad

Join Rusty as he explores the White Earth culture in Mahnomen, Minnesota and learns to make Good Berry Salad.

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Ingredients

¾ cup cooked wild rice (Manooomin)
1 ¼ cup squash (fresh or frozen cubes), cooked
¼ cup cranberries, dried
½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (and thawed)
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp honey*

*Honey should not be given to children under the age of one.

Equipment

Saucepan
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Bowl
Spoon
Cutting board
Sharp knife (for adult)
Table knife (for child)

Tips:

If using frozen blueberries, thaw them before putting them in the blender.
Squash can be hard to cut. Try cooking it first and then cutting. Watch this video on how to cut a butternut squash.
If you don’t have a blender. Mash the blueberries until mostly juice. Put the blueberry juice, oil, and honey in a jar that has a tight cover. Put on the cover. Shake until mixed.

Look and cook recipe

Step 1

Adult step: Prepare the wild rice, squash, and dressing ahead of time.

Wild rice being poured into a larger mixing bowl.

Step 2

Put the wild rice in a bowl.

Cut up squash being poured into a large mixing bowl on top of wild rice.

Step 3

Add the squash to the bowl.

Wild rice, cut up squash and cranberries in a large mixing bowl with a spoon sitting in the bowl.

Step 4

Add the blueberries and dried cranberries to the bowl. Mix.

Wild rice, cut up squash, cranberries and dressing in a large mixing bowl.

Step 5

Add the dressing.

A small serving dish filled with Good Berry Salad.

Step 6

Mix everything together. Enjoy!

Explore more 🔎

Recipe video

For caregivers and curious kids

Fun facts

Map of Minnesota with Mahnomen County highlighted.

Mahnomen is a town located on the White Earth Nation in north-central Minnesota.

Some families in For ceremonies, powwows and special occasions, girls and women often wear ribbon skirts. These skirts are made from colorful fabric and decorated with ribbons that hold cultural and personal meaning.

Traditional Native American foods include wild rice, fish, blueberries and maple syrup.

Manoomin means wild rice in Ojibwe. In Mahnomen, children can see the Wild Rice River that winds through town. The Ojibwe harvest wild rice from the lakes and rivers in northern Minnesota. They harvest the wild rice using ricing poles, ricing sticks, and canoes.

To learn more about the White Earth Nation and the wild rice they harvest, go to www.whiteearth.com

Photo credit: Richard N. Home, Creative Commons

Table talk

What does the good berry salad look like? How does it smell? How does it taste?
What other foods could you add to the good berry salad?
What is something you can do for someone today or tomorrow?

Feeding young children

Choosy eating is common in young children. This is a normal part of children’s development.

Here are a few tips if your child is a choosy eater:

Look at the big picture: Pay attention to what your child eats over several days—not just one.
Trust your child’s appetite: Let your child decide how much to eat. If children are growing and full of energy, they’re likely eating enough.
Keep it positive: Avoid labels like “picky eater.” Kids believe what you say, so stay encouraging.

Connecting with nature

Bug Box activity

This activity helps preschoolers learn about living creatures in nature:

Find a small container or box that can hold a bug. Take your child outside to a park, backyard or any natural area.
Have your child catch a bug and put it in the open container.
Look at the bug and talk about what they see. Release the bug when they are done looking at it.

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