Sweet Potatoes: "We be yammin'!"

I'm excited about sweet potatoes. After recently tasting the scrumptious baked sweet potato fries at Au Naturale Restaurant, I knew I needed to be able to make this treat at home for a fraction of the cost. In searching for recipes and nutrition info., I learned that this homely tuber is kind of like a geode, ugly on the outside, but truly a gem on the inside--a nutritional gem. In fact, The Center for Science in the Public Interest rated it as the best vegetable you could eat. (I don't think that applies if they're smothered in brown sugar, swimming in butter, and topped with a fluffy crown of marshmallows.) If you do a "google search" there's lots of interesting nutrition facts on the web. BTW, when the orange fleshed sweet potatoes entered the market, they were called "yams" to differentiate them from the white fleshed sweet potatoes. However, they are not even in the same botanical family as true yams. Nowdays there are several varieties of sweet potatoes with various colors, so don't be confused if you can only find something labeled "yams" in the produce department. They are really sweet potatoes.

This is the recipe I tried for sweet potato fries. The basic process remains the same, but there are many seasoning combinations you could try, both sweet and savory. Keep an eye on them as they cook. They need to be turned to prevent burning. Also, don't cut them too thin.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1-2 teaspoons italian spice blend
• 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
• sea salt
• pepper

Method:

• Wash and dry sweet potatoes (if using organics, no need to peel them--amazingly, the price at my local grocery store was the same)
• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
• Cut potatoes in half, then cut each half into uniform sized rectangles, not too thin
• Put potatoes into a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, sprinkle with italian seasoning, rosemary, salt and pepper and toss again
• Arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
• Bake for 30 min. turning potatoes after 15 min. (watch closely, they burn easily)
• Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauces: (endless variations)

• Equal parts mayo and sour cream or yogurt with a minced garlic clove added
• Equal parts mayo and ketchup
• Mayo with curry powder or paste