Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato gnocchi with garlic and sage

White potatoes can be used in this recipe too, instead of or in combination with the sweet potatoes

1 lb. sweet potatoes
about 2 c. flour
1 egg
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
½ tsp. dried sage
½ tsp. salt
a few turns fresh ground black pepper
4 tbs. butter

Leave the sweet potatoes whole and score all the way around them with a sharp knife. Place in a saucepan with water to cover and bring to boil. Boil for about 30 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender when pierced in the fattest part.

Drain and run sweet potato under cold water to cool. Slip off the skins and mash with a potato masher or fork. Stir in the egg, garlic, sage, salt and pepper. Add flour, a little at a time, until a dough-like consistency is achieved (you may not need the whole 2 c. of flour for this). It may be helpful to knead the dough towards the end.

Cut the ball of dough into quarters. Roll each quarter out into a rope about the width of your index finger. Cut the rope into 1 inch long sections. Hold a fork upside down in one hand, and roll the dough sections along the curve of the fork to create indentations. (You can also just skip this step and leave as is or roll the gnocchi into rounded shapes.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop the gnocchi into the boiling water, about ¼ of the batch at a time. They are done when they float to the top. Use a slotted spoon to remove and dress with butter. Serves 3-4.

Roasted Root Vegetables

This is a simple recipe with endless variations. You can use any firm root vegetable you have around. You can keep the seasonings simple, as in the recipe below, or you can add chopped garlic or onion and fresh or dried herbs as desired. This is a classic fall and winter dish, great for holidays and large gatherings.

2 medium sweet potatoes
3-4 potatoes
2-3 carrots
2 medium beets
2 tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the potato, carrot and sweet potato into bite sized chunks.
Put the vegetables into a large bowl and pour the oil over them. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Then chop the beets into small pieces. Add them to the mixture, stirring lightly to avoid turning all the vegetables purple.

Spread the vegetables into a large, shallow baking dish and cover with a baking tray or aluminum foil. Bake covered for 30 minutes, them remove cover and bake another 15 minutes, until vegetable are very tender. Allow to cool a few minutes before serving. Serves 4-6.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic and Sage

2 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes
¼ c. olive oil
3-4 large garlic cloves
1 tsp. salt
¼ c. sage leaves, fresh or dried, whole or crushed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes into rounds about ½ inch thick. Puree oil, garlic and salt in a food processor. Toss sweet potatoes with the garlic oil in a large bowl. Stir in sage leaves. Spread in one layer onto a 10 x 15 inch baking pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until very soft.

You can roast any root vegetable in this way. You can use potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, grated celery root, turnips and rutabagas, in any combination. You can leave out the garlic and/or sage, or use other herbs if you desire.

Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk

2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
1 red potato, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
4 stalks of celery or ½ a celeriac bulb, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin (if you don’t have these spices, you can also use 2 tsp. curry powder)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. sea salt
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup coconut milk
½ chopped cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the chopped onion and 1 tsp. of salt. Saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and the spices, and sauté 1 minute more. Add the vegetables, and stir well to coat with the oil and spices. Add the stock, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Allow to cool slightly, and puree in a blender of food processor. You can puree just half the soup if you prefer it chunky, or just mash it with a potato masher. Return to the pot and add the coconut milk. Thin with stock if desired, and add salt to taste. Simmer 10 minutes more. Add cilantro just before serving. Serves 6-8.

Sweet Potato Pie

1 pie crust, homemade or store bought
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, baked until very soft
1 c. maple syrup
1 c. heavy cream
1 tbs. whiskey (optional)
2 large eggs
½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the skins and mash the sweet potatoes. Stir in the maple syrup, cream, salt and whiskey if using. Beat the eggs and add them to the mixture. Place the pie crust in a 9 or 10 inch pie plate and pour the mixture into the crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a fork inserted into the middle comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 6-8.