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Savvy cooks with a mind for dollars and cents know
how valuable it is to save, reuse, and recycle — but I’m not
talking about paper and plastic. One kitchen philistine’s garbage is
an old kitchen hound’s epicurean treasure trove. Nothing gets tossed,
if at all possible, because it has a second and possibly a third life
waiting in the wings. A cook worth his salt knows that shrimp shells
beeline past the trash bin and instead go into a pot, morphing into a briny
marine stock in about 15 minutes; that the oft-maligned turkey giblets make
the richest gravy; and that those unwanted dark scallion tops are great for
poaching fish and chicken. Orange peels are destined for cake batter, pasta
water is meant for sauce, and don’t forget to braise those turnip
greens, young lady. I’ve taken all of these notes under advisement,
and when time and freezer space permit I’m a disciple of the
waste-not cause. The knowledge doesn’t come naturally;
somebody’s gotta show it for me to know it. Imagine my surprise when
I discovered at my local farmers’ market that my beloved sweet potato
is not a jewel unto itself. As a root vegetable, it starts off as a little
green sprout that pushes through the soil showing its pretty leaves, and
those leaves aren’t just for show or harvesting ease —
they’re mighty good eating. Here’s a duet of recipes that pay tribute to
the entire sweet potato, a meal with aboveground and underground
perspective. My only complaint is this: Why did it take me so long to wake
up and taste the greens?
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at
kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Mashed Red-Curry Sweet Potatoes Adapted from the November 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Living
Six medium sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds) 10 ounces coconut milk (about 3/4 can) 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste 1/4 cup good-quality maple syrup (optional; if sweet
potatoes are freshly and locally
harvested, they are likely to be sweet from the get-go) A few tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prick sweet potatoes all
over with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake until soft, about 1
hour. Let cool slightly. With a spoon, scoop flesh out of skins and
transfer to a bowl. Mash with a potato masher. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk and curry paste
and bring up to a simmer. Cook for five minutes and stir, ensuring that
curry paste is integrated. Add mashed sweet potatoes and 2 tablespoons of
butter and salt, stirring well. Taste and add maple syrup if sweeter result
is desired. Butter small gratin dishes or a larger 6-cup
baking/casserole dish. Spoon sweet-potato mixture into dish and dot with
another tablespoon of butter. Place under broiler and allow to brown, three
to four minutes. Makes six servings.
Ad Hoc Sweet-Potato Greens
Vegetable oil of choice for sautéing One clove garlic, minced Half an onion, diced Half a chile pepper of your choice, seeded and minced
1/4 pound sweet-potato greens, thoroughly rinsed, stems removed 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to
coat surface of pan. Add garlic, onion, and chile and allow to soften,
three to five minutes, making sure vegetables don’t burn. Add greens and, with tongs, toss and coat well with
aromatics. Cook for at least five minutes, until greens wilt and soften.
Add soy sauce just before serving. Makes two or three side-dish servings.
This article appears in Oct 25-31, 2007.
