Sweet potatoes are not just for side dishes

In preparation for the holidays, I had purchased a few sweet potatoes. Since I never made anything with them, they sat in a bowl on my kitchen counter for close to a month. Last week, I finally decided to use them, and they became the feature ingredient in a vegetarian version of chili (see photo), which provided a welcome bowl of spicy heat during the recent snowstorm.

Sweet potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse, both fat-free and cholesterol-free, packed with vitamins and minerals. Botanically, this root vegetable is a member of the morning glory family. Originally cultivated in Peru over 4,000 years ago, it is another import brought by Columbus from the New World to Europe on his return voyage, and from there it has spread across the globe. 

The scientific name Ipomoea batatas is the source of the familiar term “potato.” Since these orange or purple-fleshed vegetables were known before the white potato, they were the first to be called potatoes. Once the white potato became more common, the word sweet was added as a descriptor to differentiate between the varieties.

Another confusion was introduced when a producer bred a variety of sweet potato they called the “Louisiana yam.” It has soft, moist flesh and is deep orange in color due to very high beta-carotene content. Typically, in this country, the produce bin labeled “yams” is full of this varietal of sweet potato. While often used interchangeably, sweet potatoes and true yams are actually two completely different vegetables.

Sweet potatoes have a sweeter taste and smoother skin, while yams have white or yellow flesh and rough, bark-like skin. Yams are tubers and belong to the lily family. Their cooked texture is much starchier and drier, with a mild flavor comparable to cassava or yuca. They are commonly used in African, Latin American, Caribbean and West African dishes. Unlike the smaller sweet potato, yams can grow as long as a human arm.

It may come as a surprise for those of us who are new to Delaware to learn that this small state was the 14th-highest sweet potato producer in 1920, when there were 9,800 acres of sweet potatoes under cultivation. This came to be 50 years earlier, when farmers began to realize the First State’s soil and climate allowed sweet potatoes to grow particularly well.

The 1868 Delaware State Directory said, “The sweet potatoes of Southern Delaware have a richness and sweetness of flavor, which we do not find in California … or Texas.” The directory went on to advise farmers to grow 100 times more than the few bushels cultivated for their family, encouraging them to supply markets in Philadelphia and New York.

Sweet potatoes were a thriving cash crop until about 1940, when a blight known as the black rot destroyed a large portion of the crops. Old signs of the industry can be seen in the few sweet potato houses still standing. Here, sweet potatoes were cured over the winter where the warmth from coal stoves kept the heat at a constant temperature.

I’ve included two recipes that feature sweet potatoes in savory dishes. First is the chili, which is topped with chopped avocado to add creaminess, and sour cream works as well. The second dish is a colorful salad that includes crunchy, juicy, salty and sweet notes. Thank you to Allie for the great recipe suggestions!

Allie’s Sweet Potato Chili

1 t olive oil
1 diced onion
4 minced garlic cloves
1 T chili powder
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t cumin
1 t paprika
1 peeled, cubed sweet potato
2 15-oz cans black beans
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
2 C vegetable broth
salt, to taste
chopped avocado

Heat olive oil over medium in a Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute. Add chili powder, cocoa powder, cumin and paprika; stir to thoroughly combine. Add sweet potato and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Rinse and drain black beans; add to the pot. Add tomatoes and vegetable broth; stir to combine. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are cooked, about 25 minutes. Salt to taste and serve garnished with avocado. Yield: 6 servings.

Allie’s Sweet Potato Salad

3 C peeled, cubed sweet potato
salt & pepper
1 T olive oil
4 oz spring mix lettuce
1/3 C chopped pecans
1/2 C chopped apple
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese
1/3 C dried cranberries
1/3 C olive oil
1/4 C white Balsamic vinegar
1 T honey
1/2 t Dijon mustard 
1 pressed garlic clove
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Sprinkle cubed potato with salt and pepper; toss with olive oil to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 35 minutes. In a serving bowl combine lettuce, pecans, apple, feta and cranberries. Whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and garlic. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with roasted sweet potatoes and serve. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.