Sweet Potatoes

I'm a northen boy and used to making sweet potatoes into soup or fries. I know there are many preparations that use this tuber to the max. Could anyone provide some help with recipes or ideas as we entertain a lot of people from the south. Wishing for comfort food.

Rummie,
If you can hang on for about 90 days, I'll have bunch of sweets for you to practice with. We planted 50 hills today--"Georgia Jets".-- Barring the end of the world or a plague of bugs, we should have a hell of a crop from this bunch.
My wife makes a great Sweet Potato Pie. AND I love Sweet Potatoes and Apple slices in a cassarole

Mr Mayor

Add some walnuts, ground cloves & cinnamon along with brown sugar & butter to those sweets & apples & I'll bring my fork.

My hat goes off to you for planting 50 hills. I used to do 3 hills in a raised bed I had. The sweets were great but I used to be real afraid of them thar vines. I'd tuck all the vines into the bed at night & by the next day there would be a couple more feet justa swingin' over the side of the bed. I swore small animals & children weren't safe near the beds. The real test up here in MD is getting them up before the first frost. I even planted white sweets a couple of times.

Sweet potatoes are wonderful made in the ways suggusted above, but I also love them with the usual baked potato condiments; butter, grated cheese, sour cream, and scallions. I sometimes get funny looks from the waitress, but it's a great complement to a rare steak. I always bake and serve them this way at home (unless it's for one of the holiday dinners, where they go better made sweet).

Dearfolk,
I quote the late Mrs. Annie Lou Bonner regards sweet tater pie: "You don't need to add sugar! Sweet potatoes are already sweet! If you leave out the sugar, you can taste the potatoes better!"
The best sweet tater pie I ever had (including my mother's) was at Mrs. Bonner's Cafe on Monument Street in Crawfordville, Georgia. I tip my nonexistent hat in homage to her on this upcoming Mother's Day.
Warmly Memoried, Ort. Carlton in Athens, Georgia.

I go the the "Great American Buffet" in Knoxville and one of the things they bring to you on arrival is a huge sweet potato. A pad of butter is all I use.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

My aunt does this wonderful thing with mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, evaporated milk, butter, brown sugar, and pecans.. It's almost like sweet potato pudding with a crunchy top.

Ort. Carlton I am beginning to think that the Adverb was invented solely for your use. We have joked about the image we create with our writing and interests here, I have a vision of a cross between Colonel Sanders and Mark Twain every time I read one of your posts!!
Jennifer, The Sweet Potato Praline Pudding that you describe is one that my Mom used to make for us around Thanksgiving time. In talking with her about it she said she could use winter squash, pumpkin, or sweets interchangeably, but would lower the outside sweeting if the Sweet Potato was the main ingredient.
Bushie- Several of the chain Steak Houses are now offering Sweet Potato as an alternative to the regular Baked or Fried white potato (Outback-Texas Roadhouse...)
OC- Bring the Spices in September, and we'll dig'em up for a "Roast"

Sorry, here I go again, but the Dinosaur BBQ cook book has a recipe for pan fried mahi-mahi with a sweet potato crust. The photo is awsome. I tried to replicate it last week. Basically you smear one side of the fish with creole mustard and pack grated sweet potato on it, and fry it in oil until it carmalizes. It's served in a pool of red pepper sauce made with the Dino's "Sensuous Slathering Sauce."

I got the sauce right, but didn't get the oil temp right (or didn't squeeze enough moisture out of the spuds)...tastey, but not quite carmalized.

We haven't used a lot of sweet potato around our kitchen, my wife and I have nightmares of the candied sweet potatoes we got in high school, (marshmallows....ugh!). I think we'll be looking for more ways to cook them now.

My favorite use is Sweetpotato Pecan Pie. Not as sickly sweet as more Pecan pies and a nice crunchy topping to the sweet potatoes.

Back in the day, Golden Corral restaurant used to serve these deep fried thingies that appeared to be sweet potato mush shaped into fingers, battered and deep fried..boy were they tasty! Unfortunately I haven't found em in the current incarnation of that chain.

MISS BESSIE'S CANDIED YAMS (adapted from "SOUL FOOD")

Scrub 3 yams (orange "sweet potatoes"). Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil and boil 20 minutes, til tender but firm. Drain yams and rinse in cold water until cooled. Peel yams and cut into quarters. Arrange in a single layer in an iron skillet. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to a gentle boil, then add 1/2 cup sugar. Boil gently for 3 minutes, then add 3 Tbsp. butter, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Spoon half the sugar syrup over the yams. Simmer over a low flame, basting with the rest of the syrup, about 20 minutes or until yams have absorbed most of the syrup.

I have heard of a dish like that. I was given a recipe, however being me I only wrote down the basic ingredients. It has sweet potato, ground rice, palm sugar, and a pinch of salt. Make the mixute into little balls and fry.

SWEET POTATO PUDDING:

Mix together 2 beaten eggs, 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup light corn syrup, and 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Add 1 tsp. nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 cup milk. Mix well, then stir in 3 cups grated raw (orange) yams and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into a buttered 8"x12" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I forgot about a sweet potato specialty I haven't had in a while. Sweet potato biscuits. Well made, they are a great go with for fried chicken.

quote:

Originally posted by vinelady

My favorite use is Sweetpotato Pecan Pie. Not as sickly sweet as more Pecan pies and a nice crunchy topping to the sweet potatoes.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen has the best recipe for this I've ever made. It's made in a deep dish--a cake pan, actually. By making a few twists on the recipe, I won the only cooking prize I ever won with this one: second place in a pie contest. (No money, but the ribbon suuure looks nice with my cookbook collection.

Al "Mr. Mayor"; Dearfolk,
Now that this thread has returned to the menu board and it is in sight and in mind, I find your kind comments regards my writings herein, and must - in kind - reply.
Colonel Sanders (an honorary Kentucky Colonel, by the way!) was adept at running a decent roadside restaurant. My family stopped there on U. S. 25 in Corbin, Ky. when I was little-bitty: I still remember the place clearly! It was a landmark to them as far back as roughly 1935, or whenever they first stopped there.
As for literary references to my prattle, the writer most people seem to compare me to - at least locally - is either Jack Kerouac or Richard Brautigan. While I appreciate the thought, I remember that both of them drank themselves to death: I truly, truly enjoy good drink, but my doctor tells me that my liver is in fine shape - because I drink good drink, not cheap stuff. For example, Icehouse may be "micro-brewed" by Plank Road Brewery, but it is actually made by Miller in vast quantities and does not appeal to me as anything but something wet if I am desperately thirsty and water is not an option. Give me an India Brown Ale at Copper Creek Brewing anytime!
I always try to write something useful and/or meaningful when I saunter by here, but by now I am getting lightyears away from the topic at hand... sweet potatoes. Beam me home, Scotty.
The best sweet potato I ever had in a restaurant was at Country's Barbecue on Broadway (in the converted Greyhound bus depot) downtown in Columbus, Georgia. With a plate there, one sidedish option is a baked potato; another is a baked yam! I chose the yam, and the waitress stood there and watched me with great interest as I s-l-o-w-l-y ate it, purring all the while. This yam option in and of itself is enough for me to give Country's downtown location a glowing recommendation; the 'cue is excellent and the sauce is the Columbus standard: mustard-based(!), as the town was settled en masse in 1828 by displaced South Carolineans! Obviously mustard sauce in S. C. predates that!!
Elsewhere I'll mention another Colusmbus specialty, The Scrambled Dog... but not here. I've rambled enough.
Al, Mr. Mayor, thank you for your reassurance. I'll keep trying to contribute worthwhile ramblings and mutterings and musings as the roads - and meals - unwind.
Unhungrily (At The Moment; But Subject To Change!), Ort. Carlton in Athens, Georgia.

Sweet potatos sever several different things for me.

1: I like pretty plants and I like to use them in hanging baskets. I plant them in late spring and a huge basket and sprinkle the soil liberally with Osmacote. This gives them great fertilizer throughout their growing season and creates beautiful trailing vines.

2: At the end of the season, I harvest the potatoes from my basket and utilize them in several ways.

3: I candy them
4: I fry them like chips
5: I bake them and use liberal amounts of real slightly salted butter.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Al-The-Mayor-Bowen surely knows his sweet potatoes. No matter how it's going to be cooked, there is no sweet potato on earth anywhere nearly as good as a "Georgia Jet". I do hope that those 50 hills of your Georgia Jets are progressing smartly and haven't been hit by the horrible, crazy weather so much of the country has suffered the past month or so.

Dear Like2-
We just returned from a week on the road and see that about 50% of our hills washed out in last weeks thunderboomers here. That still leaves us with 25 hills or so...These plants sure are slow starters. I planted them once many years ago and don't recall it taking this long to see growth that is visible!! But it has been a cool wet Spring here in the Louisville area.
AL

Dear Al - Surely sorry to hear of the washout of half of your Georgia Jets, but I so hope for everyone's sake that May's weather does not carry over into June. My familiarity with Georgia Jets comes from my uncle's raising them every year in that poor sandy soil of southwest Arkansas. I don't recall their being that slow in "taking off", but they surely grew prolifically there. He grew enough each year in a relatively small patch to provide the family and all the neighbors there (plus all us interloping kin from elsewhere) with more than could be eaten by all each season. I surely got spoiled by their quality and since his death several years ago I have not had a decent sweet potato from any source. The Georgia Jets are the most delicious of any sweet potato, regardless of how it may be cooked. Also, I've never seen one of them with any white, stringy segments whatsoever. Travis always ordered his from Georgia, but I've never known anyone else anywhere who raised them. Here is wishing you success with the remainder of your crop.You''ve got some delicious sweet potato eating to look forward to, assuming weather improves and they make it. With that being the case, I may have to head to Louisville for a little midnight potato patch raiding come harvest time. Liketo-

THE MOST FABULOUS CASSEROLE EVER is from The Dinner Bell in McComb, MS. www.thedinnerbell.net is where you can read all about it and order one of the best cookbooks ever for southern food. I believe the recipe is online at www.dixiedining.com

Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by rumbelly

I'm a northen boy and used to making sweet potatoes into soup or fries. I know there are many preparations that use this tuber to the max. Could anyone provide some help with recipes or ideas as we entertain a lot of people from the south. Wishing for comfort food.

I like them baked and served with butter. Candied yams (really sweet potatoes) were a favorite holiday side dish. Mashed sweet potatoes are terrific, too.

Rumbelly,
Sweet potatoes are easy. Just put them in a hot oven (450 deg.) until they are completely soft (you should see little brown sweat beads on the outside of the jackets). Allow to cool slightly. Peel off the jacket (and discard the fibrous tips). Mash with butter and maple syrup to taste. Add a bit of cream and a touch of salt. Enjoy!!!

I too like them baked. Right out of the oven, open them up, apply a liberal amount of butter, a good sprinkle of cinnamon and a pinch of sugar !! Just scoop it out of the skin with a spoon !!!

I learned this down south. They call it Sweet Potato Souffle, but it's really not a souffle. Anyway, it's great, and I should make it more often:

one large can of sweet potatoes (sometimes labeled as yams)or 4 big sweet potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
one stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup half and half or cream, or a small can evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon or orange extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins

miniature marshmellows

Drain the sweet potatoes and place in mixing bowl. If using fresh, boil till tender, cool and peel.

Mash the sweet potatoes. Add all the ingredients except the raisins and marshmellows and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add raisins last and stir them in. Put in casserole dish, and cover top with marshmellows. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, until heated through and the marshmellows are browned.

I have always had sweet potatoes served the traditional way of baked and then served with butter and brown sugar.

I have often wondered what they were like french fried with salt and ketchup.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

As a result of an explosion in the bunny population in our area, my sweet potato plants have shrunk to 6 out of the recent 25 survivors. Those seem to be doing well...and I am trying to disguise the remaining plants as straw-weeds.
My Mom used to make a sweet-potato and apple casserole that was a highlight of some of our fall Sunday dinners.
I am glad to see that some of the chain steak houses are now offering baked sweets in place of the regular potato's with their dinner.(Outback, Texas RoadHouse and Logan's to name a few).

Mr. Mayor, the Great American has been doing the sweet potato thing for several years.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer,
They make good fries, but they have to be cut really thin because they burn really easy due to high sugar content. There is a ready made alternative though. Zapps Potato Chips in LaPlace, Louisiana (the place is great, it used to be a chevy dealership on Hwy 90 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans) makes sweet potato chips. They are thin cut and seasoned with just a little salt and cinnamon. They are extremely tasty. You can get them by going to

http://www.zapps.com/

It is a pretty fun web site to boot.