Heard It Through the Cukevine

By Kerstin Renner

One of the vegetables that really divides our family is the sweet potato.

My daughter and I just love it, as fries, in a casserole, as pie, in stews and just as is. The rest of the family would not care if this vegetable existed or not. In general, it seems, sweet potatoes have been getting more and more popular over the last few years. Sweet potato fries for instance, once a unique side dish, are now almost as widely available as their regular cousins.

Their popularity might partially be due to the fact that many weight-loss programs consider sweet potatoes a vegetable, rather than a starch, and they are generally thought to be healthier than regular potatoes. The scientific community has not come to a final conclusion on that question; however, it is a fact that sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidants, beta-carotene, Vitamin C and many other nutrients.

There are several different varieties of sweet potatoes available for local gardeners, including: Georgia Jet – an early pink variety with orange flesh, Toka Toka Gold – yellow skin and flesh and Tainung 65 – an Asian variety with purple-red skin and gold flesh.

Sweet potato plants do not tolerate any frost. They grow best with abundant sunshine and temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius during the day and warm nights. Sweet potatoes grow well in many conditions and tolerate a variety of soils They can even be successfully kept in large containers, but make sure to water regularly as they are drought sensitive, especially when starting to form their edible tubers.

The leaves of the sweet potato plant are lush, yet delicate and make a beautiful addition to any garden bed or your patio display. Instead of flowers, I have a large planter with Tainung 65 sweet potatoes on my balcony this year and I have added a tumbler tomato plant for colour. Depending on how many potatoes we get from the planter, we will have quite the feast. I see whipped sweet potato casserole with cornflake and pecan topping, homemade poutine with sweet potato fries and most importantly an easy-to-make, yet delicious and comforting sweet potato soup that will be loved or at least eaten without protest by the entire family.

Sweet Potato Soup

Place a saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When it begins to get hot, chop and add 2 onions, 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks and sauté until softened.

Add 1 large or two smaller sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks, and pour in 2-3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth. It should be enough broth to completely cover all the vegetables. Season with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer.

Cook the soup until the potatoes are very soft and then puree with a hand or countertop blender until smooth. For some extra ‘zing’ you can serve it with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.

– Kerstin Renner completed a degree in journalism and communications, before working at the local radio station and most recently as editor of the Kootenay News Advertiser with a stint at the Regional District of East Kootenay thrown in. Now she gets to nurture her green(ing) thumb at Top Crop Garden, Farm & Pet and pass on the knowledge she is soaking up by writing about growing.

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