North Carolina has been ranked the top sweetpotato grower in the U.S. since 1971. We’ve always been fond of candied yams (a starchy type of sweetpotato – not technically yams) and sweetpotato pie at Thanksgiving. When sweetpotato fries started sidling up to our burgers, we opened our minds to sweetpotato potential.
After all, they provide 300 percent of our daily requirement of vitamin A and about one-third of our daily vitamin C. Nutritionists encourage us to pair about a teaspoon of butter with a sweetpotato to help our bodies absorb all of those vitamins. Butter rounds out the delicate, almost nutty, slightly sweet flavor. Sweetpotatoes are high in fiber, low in calories, contain no fat and taste delicious. What’s not to love?
Rustic Mashed Sweetpotatoes
I decided to make Rustic Mashed Sweetpotatoes with a bit of garlic. I also kept the skins on the mashed potatoes as an experiment. They tend to be a bit thicker and tougher than other potatoes. My concern was that the skins wouldn’t soften and blend in with the creamy pulp, but that was unfounded. The skins added a nice and subtle texture that really enhances this dish. This approach resulted in a great side dish for pork, grilled salmon, steak, chicken and, of course, holiday turkey.
