Pre-Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Fries

Could not wait for Thanksgiving to get the sweet potatoes sizzling. Stood in line at Trader Joes this afternoon and wondered at the toppling stack of instant mashed potatoes. Do people really serve that stuff with a holiday meal? Pretty mind boggling, but I guess I'm a big old spud-snob having been raised in that part of the world where supersized, white, fluffy potatoes have always been a-plenty and not to mention one of the cheapest items of winter-weather, carbo-charged, whole food fortitude available.

The sweet potato deal took a while to make a dent in my American transplant culinary repertoire. Orange potatoes? Seemed a bit suspect. But then again, so did the humble pumpkin pie. Never having ever been so much as offered a bite of pumpkin-anything prior to my arrival from the proverbial 'boat' of ex-pat edible discoveries, it took about four or five subsequent, tentative Thanksgiving tastings to take it on board as a new found fav!

So there we have it: sweet potatoes, pumpkin, all officially A OK in the vineyard kitchen, although I really only do think to cook these peculiar-looking amber-hued gifts of the earth at this very specific time of year.

Tonight's Oven Baked Sonoma County Sweet Potato Fries

10 small sweet potatoes, peeled & sliced fry-shaped
olive oil
parmesan cheese
kosher salt
pepper
fresh, chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Place on cookie sheet, bake for 40 minutes, turning regularly.

Note to the Cook: Still deliberating on your Thanksgiving menu? Pick up a copy of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat on Wednesday November 19th for Petaluma's always-amazing Kay Baumhefner's feature recipes Check out Kay's tasty new Come Home to Cooking website. 

Comments

[Corrina Lozanov]

Hi Frances,

I made your sweet potato fries the other night and they were really good. Went well with grilled salmon. Thanks for the recipe!

Corrina

[Frances]

I think they might need a little longer to crisp up, in retrospect. The salmon combo sounds delicious.You are not the only one who has taken me up on this recipe, Corrina, it's great to hear the feedback. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

[Lindsey]

Think I need more time to acquire the taste..there's something about slightly sweet tasting savouries...it doesn't make sense to my palate! Tim on the other hand adores them....