Sweet Potatoes Love 'Em or Leave 'Em?

My answer? Leave 'em.

I have always detested sweet potatoes, in fact I could say I detest almost all orange edibles that land on the Thanksgiving table. It's not their color per se but the texture of those mashed squashes and sweet potatoes that I can't seem to abide, which made Thanksgiving a challenge for me growing up. As a grown-up, my Thanksgiving table has only had carrots to meet the orange requirement of the day.

My husband and mother-in-law love sweet potatoes and lamented in years gone by that my dislike of these holiday treats meant they were missing out. So in the spirit of fairness and with a promise that not one morsel would have to pass my lips, I scoured over my cookbooks offering up recipe after recipe for their approval. Finally, they both agreed.

I baked fresh sweet potatoes, scooped out the cooked orange flesh and then mixed in butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and vanilla extract. The mixture was put into a casserole dish and small white marshmallows were strewn over the top until not one speck of orange could be seen. The casserole was then heated in the oven until the marshmallows were golden brown. Having assembled this concoction, I declared after dinner that my husband and his mother had deluded themselves into thinking that they know what a sweet potato tastes like - the sweet potato for them is just a transporter for all that sugar.

The sweet potato however is incredibly good for you which I've read about in a number of magazines and periodicals lately. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the sweet potato ranks number one in nutrition amongst all vegetables, leading the second place contender by 100 points on their ranking system. Why? Dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. So I vowed to try to give them a chance one more time. 

With sweet potatoes now on my radar, I began noticing recipes in bon appétit, on the Food Network, and in my cookbook library for baked sweet potato "fries" or wedges. This seemed worth a try especially because it would by-pass the mashed texture issue I've had.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Smoked Chipotle Cream

Success! These wedges are easy, naturally sweet, and a little spicy if you add the cumin and chili pepper. Mix up the smoked chipotle sour cream dipping sauce for special occasions. Having made these twice now, I have to say they don't really crisp up like the fries we're used to but I like them so much, I don't mind eating these tasty morsels with a fork. Perhaps I'll try them next time with the skins on - they say a sweet potato has more fiber than oatmeal if you eat it with the skin on!

Sweet Potatoes Tossed with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Cumin & Espelette Pepper

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges*
Makes 8 servings

2 pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled (if desired), cut lengthwise into ½-¾ inch wedges
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon piment d'Espelette or ground mild chili pepper
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• Preheat oven to 500℉.
• Peel sweet potatoes (or not), cut into thick wedges, and place in large bowl.
• Add oil, salt, and spices. Toss gently to coat.
• Arrange wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in oven and bake - turning occasionally to brown evenly, until the potatoes are tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and season generously with fleur de sel. Serve.
• Note: These can be done a couple of hours in advance. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 425℉ oven until heated through, about 5 minutes. 
• Place potato wedges on large platter. Drizzle with smoked chipotle cream. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onion tops and serve.

* Recipe derived from recipes in bon appétit and from Patricia Wells in Vegetable Harvest

Smoked Chipotle Cream*

⅓ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion tops (scallions) - dark green parts only - divided
2 teaspoons chipotle hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons lime juice
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• Whisk sour cream, 1 tablespoon green onion tops, chipotle hot sauce, and lime juice in a small bowl.
• Cover and chill. Can be made a day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

* Recipe from bon appétit November 2010

 

P.S. Yam or Sweet Potato?

When I was shopping for sweet potatoes recently I was more than a little confused - I couldn't find anything called a sweet potato in the super markets or the farm stands - I could only find yams. Now I'd done my research and had learned that yams and sweet potatoes are two very different vegetables and, in fact, are not even remotely related. Sweet potatoes are the tuberous root of a vine in the morning glory family; a true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine.

Sweet potatoes are yellow or orange tubers with ends that taper to a point. There are two dominant types: 1) A sweet potato with a thin light yellow skin and pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture like a white baking potato, and 2) A darker-skinned variety (often called "yam" in error) with a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin; vivid orange, sweet flesh, and a moist texture."

A true yam, not widely available in the U.S., is the sweetest of all and has brown or black skin, and off-white, purple or red flesh depending on the variety. 

I mention all of this in the interest of "truth-in-advertising" and because a yam is not a sweet potato and a sweet potato is not a yam. Shakespeare wrote "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Well a sweet potato by any other name will never be a yam. Here endeth the lesson. 

 

Comments

[Paul Angotta]

Love all things Thanksgiving - especially anything pumpkin, which I hope avoids your 'orange' ban. Pumpkin pie, cookies, muffins, soup - can't get enough of them.

Sweet potatoes? Leave'em. My mom is the only one in the family that eats them. And each year she gives her annual line of, "Just try them - tastes change and you may like them now."

I expect the same result this year as ones in the past - no thanks.

[ally]

leave 'em for me, but i liked your facts and gorgeous photos.
thanks

[Barbara Andolsek Paintings]

I love my 'baked' sweet potato strips which are exactly like yours except for the cumin. I also (being of German ancestry) love to dip them in sour cream with just a tad of Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, just a tad. I love them baked as well, with just plain butter and again, sour cream. I cannot and never will like in any way the typical sweet potatoes served at your typical Thanksgiving. Way too gooey sweet with all of that sugar and marshmallows. AND both the sweet potato/yam are the very highest in the vegetable world regarding vitamins. I'd eat either one in a minute... ps - you did a brilliant job on your research btw.

[Claudia Ward]

I promise. I ate over half of them myself. When Peter got back from errands he reheated them at 425 degrees F and they crisped up a little more. I'm definitely doing them again!

Sent from my iPhone

[Sally]

You promise me they are good?????????????

[Charlie]

Ahhh...you of the svelte contingent...you can't appreciate the value of a tasty starch-like dinner component that's good for you, and does not really need butter or sour cream to satisfy those of us in the less-than-svelte contingent. Like turkey....sweet potatoes or yams should not be relegated to the holiday-only the shelf!