Top 5 Northeastern American Vegetable Dishes

Fiddleheads and their harvesting is a Maine tradition stemming from Native American times. These coiled tips of young ostrich ferns usually grow near rivers in lakes in Maine, and they're harvested during April, May, and June. The flavor of fiddleheads is often described as a combination of asparagus, mushrooms, and spinach. They're low in calories and rich in fiber and vitamins A and C. Traditionally, the fiddleheads are boiled or steamed and served with a bit of butter and salt, but vinegar and olive oil are also sometimes used as toppings or seasonings.Expand

Succotash is a flavorful side dish consisting of vegetables such as corn and lima beans, served in a creamy sauce made with milk, cream, or butter. The name of this tasty side is derived from the word msakwitash, meaning broken corn kernels, referring to one of the key ingredients in the dish. Originally, it was a Native American staple, a thick stew so nourishing that it would feed a crowd. Today, there are numerous varieties of the dish: Cherokees add pumpkin, meat, and nuts, the Plymouth variety uses navy beans, potatoes, and turnips, and other modern varieties use tomatoes, squash, and okra. What began as a humble dish is today a New England favorite, and it is especially popular on Thanksgiving Day.Expand

Boiled dinners are simple dishes that have been a staple of New England's cuisine for a long time. It consists of corned beef and root vegetables such as carrots, onions, celery, turnips, and cabbage, cooked together in boiling water until tender. From preparation to presentation, everything is as simple as it can be, and there is no gravy nor condiments to accompany the meat and vegetables. Its origins are unclear, but the existence of the dish has been noted by historians since the 1660s. In the times before refrigeration, boiled dinner was a kind of a survival strategy, and because the cuts of meat needed to be cooked for a long time, one could do other things while the dish was cooking. Despite being easy, inexpensive and nutritious, New England boiled dinner has fallen slightly out of favor today, but there is one day of the year when the dish is wildly popular throughout the state, especially in the Irish community - March 17th, known as St. Patrick's Day.Expand

These starchy baked beans are enriched with syrups similar to molasses in order to tenderize and sweeten them. An iconic side dish from Boston (also known as Beantown), it started its way to stardom in the 17th century when the Natives taught the early settlers how to bake beans using bear fat. Later on, people used to fill the pots with dry beans on Saturday and leave them to cook slowly until Sunday so the beans would be tender, falling apart, and melting. The baked beans' key ingredient is molasses, making the dish sweet and rich, but it is not yet clear who added it to the dish. What is clear, though, is that the molasses industry boomed in the 18th and 19th century in New England as a part of the trade triangle between Africa, West Indies, and the U.S. Coast. The first recipe for Boston baked beans appeared in A. L. Webster's cookbook called The Improved Housewife, adding salt pork and baking soda to the molasses and beans, which is standard today. The dish is so popular that it can be found in almost any place where hot dogs are served, occasionally splashed with vinegar for those who find the beans just a bit too sweet.Expand

Maine baked beans is a traditional dish originating from the state of Maine. It is made with a combination of Maine dry beans (usually of the Yellow Eye variety), salt pork, sugar, molasses, mustard, onion, salt, and pepper. The beans are soaked overnight, then parboiled in the morning up to the point when their skins crack when blown upon. The onion is cut and placed on the bottom of the pan, followed by beans and salt pork on top. A combination of other ingredients is then poured over the pork and beans. The whole pot is then placed in the oven and slowly baked, typically for 6 hours or more. It is recommended to serve Maine baked beans with steamed brown bread or hot johnnycakes.Expand