Roasted elk tenderloin with rosemary and wild mushroom jus from the Native to Minnesota menu. Photos: Native Harvest Catering
Native Harvest Catering blends traditional foodways with modern dishes for memorable—and delicious—events.
A culinary store both modern and ancient is unfolding in Prior Lake—one wild rice bowl at a time. Native Harvest Catering, an enterprise of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), offers catered meals for events around the Twin Cities, focusing on fresh, local ingredients and a commitment to sustainability.
When SMSC’s beloved natural foods store, Mazopiya, closed its doors in 2023, the culinary team, including senior manager of SMSC food services Andrew Basil, decided to breathe new life into some of the store’s most popular deli dishes. “The store served our surrounding community, and one of our most popular items was the wild rice bowl with different proteins and a lot of fresh toppings. We wanted to keep those alive,” Basil says. The bowls are still available at the SMSC campus cafe and are making their way into all kinds of catered events as part of the new Native Harvest menu options. “You’re allowing your guests to create their own meal in a way that is unique,” Basil says. Vegans, vegetarians and otherwise adventurous eaters can craft something truly personal, starting with a bed of traditionally harvested and prepared wild rice, and adding veggies and other toppings of their choice.
Native Harvest caters all kinds of events, from relatively small family graduation parties to larger meetings and galas for municipalities, nonprofits and school districts. The 13-member team provides all setup, serving and tear-down services and oversees the food from beginning to end.
Braised bison short ribs with mushroom demi-glace, roasted vegetables and sweet corn and hominy mash from the Native to Minnesota menu.
In addition to the popular wild rice bowl buffets, the Native Harvest Catering menu reads like a love letter to Minnesota with a focus on local and regional ingredients. Produce is sourced from local growers whenever possible, including from SMSC’s own organic, on-site garden. Bison meat is raised by Minnesota farmers. A popular themed menu is the Native to Minnesota option, where clients can choose a local protein (from bison or elk to trout or walleye), two sides inspired by traditional Dakota foodways (braised beans, hominy, roasted squash, Three Sisters succotash or wild rice pilaf) and fry bread with wojape sauce, made from berries cooked down to a perfect blend of sweet and tart.
Senior manager of Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community food services Andrew Basil sets up a buffet at Hoċokata Ti.
But Native Harvest offers other menus inspired by cuisines and regions farther afield. The South of ’Sota-themed menu includes build-your-own nachos or tacos piled with grilled chicken, ground beef or pork carnitas, plus an abundance of fresh fixings. The You Betcha BBQ menu takes inspiration from the southern United States and offers barbecue beef brisket, chicken or pork ribs, along with classic sides like baked beans, dirty rice and macaroni and cheese.
Guests assemble thier burrito bowl from the South of ’Sota menu.
The Native Harvest team can also cater hot or continental breakfast buffets featuring homemade cinnamon rolls and muffins, or provide an array of desserts from its Northern Lights Delights menu.
“We rely on our team and give them the opportunity to flex their creativity,” Basil says. “It’s a collaborative effort.”
Alongside its locally focused menus, Native Harvest finds other ways to decrease its eco-footprint. “We use all compostable goods,” Basil says. “Our packaging and all of our tableware is compostable, and we try to have zero waste in our kitchen.” The SMSC Organics Recycling Facility takes most of the kitchen’s food waste and turns it into compost, which is then offered to gardeners on its own or blended with other materials for landscaping.
Explore two recipes from Native Harvest Catering that celebrate seasonal fall ingredients.
Native Harvest Catering
Instagram: @nhcateringmn
