Southern Sweets

Here’s an excerpt from a Piedmont Biofarm CSA  blog post by Elizabeth Thompson, who shares my deep affection for a certain subterranean food stock.

“Moving here from the North, there were a number of farm favorites that I lost.  Brussels sprouts so sweet you can eat them raw, rhubarb by the armload for pies and jams, and crisp greens all summer long.  But it was a trade, and some wonderful vegetables have found their way into my southern life to replace the cool northerners I lost.  Among these are okra, peppers and tomatoes out my ears and, my favorite southern crop so far, the South American native sweet potato.  I always love the thrill and satisfaction of digging up potatoes from their summer lairs and piling them by the bucketful into the basement for our winter staple.  There is something even more thrilling for me about digging up the golden gems of sweet potatoes that seem to have preserved the summer sun’s life-giving energy so perfectly within their sweet, orange flesh.

“Now my love affair with this crop cannot end with poetic statements in the setting sun.  Next, this tuber must come into my home and kitchen to nourish my family through the colder months ahead.  How do I handle and prepare this delicious gift?”

Click here for Elizabeth’s advice on how to store sweet potatoes and cook them (with recipes for Cajun Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Hot and Sweet Gratin).