Cooking with Chef Jo: Sweet Potatoes

https://wwoof.net/

Back when we had WWOOFers on our homestead, I dearly miss them, I used to cook dinner for them. It was the least I could do after we worked them so hard during the day. I took any food allergies into consideration, but the rest of the menu was up to me.

Don't know what a Wwoofer is?
According to the Wwoof website a Wwoofer is...

WWOOF is a worldwide movement linking volunteers with organic farmers and growers to promote cultural and educational experiences based on trust and non-monetary exchange, thereby helping to build a sustainable, global community.
As a volunteer (or WWOOFer as we call them) you will live alongside your host helping with daily tasks and experiencing life as a farmer.
ng. As a host farm you will open your home to receive visitors from your own country or abroad who want to connect with the land and support the organic movement.

We ran across a few like minded folks within driving distance from us. In exchange for their labor, they worked beside us on various projects around the homestead, they learned self sustaining practices, how to use basic tools, safety, canning, cooking, preserving a harvest, foraging, small livestock care, and organic principles in gardening from us. We also fed them from the fruits of homestead or locally grown food stuff.

What does all have to do with cooking with Chef Jo? I had one woman tell me after the meal prepared that she didn't like sweet potatoes, but she liked how I fixed them. This happened with several of my "guests" I tend to cook simple with a focus on flavor combinations. I usually cook meals with savory components rather than sweet for the meal. I save the sweet for dessert. The same goes for my sweet potato dishes. Unless I'm making sweet potato pie with fresh cinnamon whipped cream for dessert. For a savory taste, I'll either roast, boil, broil, or bake sweet potatoes. I could do french fried sweet potatoes but the natural sweetness in the sweet potatoes makes them almost gummy. I do not like the texture of them unless they are coated with flour before I oil fry or air fry them.

One my standard Wwoofer meals is ham, either roasted or smashed sweet potatoes, black eyed peas, oven cooked rice, corn sticks, and apple hand pies with slices of sharp cheddar cheese. The meal I had prepared this night featured smashed sweet potatoes.

Jo's Savory Smashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 6

What you'll need

3 large sweet potatoes, baked until done and chopped into 4" cubes
1 tsp salt
1/4 c red onion, finely chopped
1- 2" piece of ginger root, minced or finely grated or 2 tsp ground ginger*
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated, or 1 tsp ground
ginger*
                                                             1/4 tsp white pepper
                                                             1/2 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped into
                                                             2" pieces
                                                             1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
                                                             2 TBS butter

*Notes-  While I give the ground version of ginger and garlic measurements, using the real stuff tastes so much better and better for your health.

Putting it all together

•  In a large sauce pan, heat 2 tbs of butter.
• Add onions, garlic, and apples. Stir fry until onions are translucent.
• Add cooked sweet potato cubes, pepper, salt and vinegar. Cook until potatoes are heated through.
• Add remaining tbs of butter and mash with potato masher. You want a fair amount of lumpy potatoes.

Serving suggestions- sprinkle the top with chopped parsley or cilantro and an extra dab of butter.

So if you don't like sweet potatoes loaded with brown sugar, maple syrup, and marshmallows, give this recipe a try. Take a walk on the savory side of eating. You might just be surprised and inspired.

Y'all have a blessed day!

Jo