Hot dish: LMNOP Bakery’s Three Sisters sandwich

Above, the Three Sisters sandwich. Below, Anne Mayhew, LMNOP owner and founder. AMY SOWDER PHOTOS

By AMY SOWDER

Between the pillowy pockets of salaciously spongy buckwheat focaccia, three sisters hold hands and dance in a circle.

“What?!” you say. Let’s explain.

The Three Sisters sandwich at LMNOP Bakery in Katonah is like a delectable dance of soft, creamy, crispy, crunchy textures with sweet, savory, nutty, herbal flavors.

A seasonal sandwich offered while the produce is locally attainable, Three Sisters is named for its main-character energy: black beans, sweet corn and squash.

“They help each other grow, so it’s nice to incorporate them into one sandwich,” said Ingrid Bratberg, lead sandwich chef, as she horizontally sliced through a half-sheet of focaccia to make a batch. Bratberg then slathered on some pureed orange kabocha squash, sourced from local farms Cabbage Hill Farm in Mount Kisco and Hilltop Hanover Farm in Yorktown Heights.

Beans, corn and squash have been called the “three sisters” for hundreds of years. The Iroquois and Cherokee tribes called them that because they nurture each other like family when planted together.

Indigenous people, often female farmers, used this intercropping method of planting corn, beans and squash together. Besides the anthropological, historical, cultural significance of this practice, there’s a practical agricultural application that home gardeners use to this day.

Two or three weeks after farmers planted their corn, these women planted bean seeds in the same mounds, which contributed nitrogen to the soil. The cornstalks served as bean poles. And then, between the rows, the farmers cultivated a low-growing crop such as squash or pumpkins because the leaves shaded the ground, which maintains moisture and prevents weeds.

“I love the squash and the whole three-sisters aspect. It’s very autumn,” Bratberg said. People are asking for vegan or vegetarian sandwiches more and more, she said.

For this creation’s focaccia, Anne Mayhew, owner and founder of LMNOP, mixes whole grain spelt from Farmer Ground Flour in Ithaca. The focaccia also uses water (a lot of water, for that spongy texture), salt and olive oil, so it's vegan. LMNOP uses a 100-percent rye starter.

“Our sandwiches are a song of all we believe in and what we do at LMNOP. It shows all the things we make and the farms we use,” Mayhew said. “There’s a lot of consideration that goes into our sandwiches to make sure it’s a good textural experience so it’s not too squishy or too hard, with good flavors and ingredients.”

Besides a creamy black-bean spread and a buttery kabocha puree, a bite will reveal roasted pepitas for salty crunch, sweet corn kernels and a fresh, crisp mixed-green medley of arugula, mesclun and radicchio dressed in olive oil, salt, pepper and lime juice. Plus, expect touches of soft, fresh herbs such as parsley and cilantro.

“There are hours and hours that go into each sandwich,” Mayhew said, pointing to the kabocha squash that they source whole and need to roast and puree and the corn on the cob that needs the kernels cut off. Just the focaccia itself is a three to four-day process, she said.

And these greens from local farms taste so much better than what you find at the supermarket, Mayhew said. “There’s punch and flavor,” she said.

The Three Sisters sandwich sold out within a couple hours on a recent Tuesday. One guest to enjoy the dish was Lyn Reardon of New York Stoneware in Bedford. She’s also the organizer of the first-annual Bedford Plant-Based Restaurant Week held in September. LMNOP participated, and Reardon said she appreciates Mayhew’s efforts to offer more plant-based menu items year-round. Every chef’s effort and every guest’s plant-based choice helps preserve the environment for our children and helps maintain the health of our families, she said. Plus, it tastes good.

“It tastes like fall. It’s amazing,” Reardon said after she savored her first couple bites.

LMNOP Bakery is located at 25 Katonah Ave., Katonah. For more information, visit lmnopbakery.com.

Amy Sowder has worked for Bon Appétit, Women’s Health, Food Network, Farm Journal, Westchester Magazine, Chowhound, VeryWell, LoHud and USA Today. She edits Cook’s Illustrated magazine, writes for Everyday Health, and is collaborating on a historical novel.