Sweet potatoes are just starting to show up at my local farmers market. The first sweet potatoes of the season are not as sweet as those that come later. Farmers will set some by to cure, thus developing the super-sweet flavor familiar from holiday dinners. Fresh from the ground, they’re still sweet. But they’re not so sweet that they should be called dessert.
Sweet potatoes have a lot of nutrition packed into relatively few calories. According to NutritionData, a single serving (1 cup) of sweet potatoes has 769% of the daily value of Vitamin A. They’re also high in vitamin C and several B vitamins, as well as minerals such as Manganese, Potassium, Copper, and others. The low glycemic load of sweet potatoes gets them into low-carb diets and many weight lifters include them in their meals.
Nearly all the sweet potato recipes I find online and in cookbooks have sugar in them. But why add sugar to an already sweet vegetable? Sweet Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes relies on the sweetness and flavors of the vegetables themselves.
Sweet Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes
2 cups sweet potatoes, grated
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 or 2 tablespoons butter
Grate your sweet potato using the large holes on a box grater. If you use a food processor, be careful not to grate the sweet potato into mush. One sweet potato will make about 2 cups, grated, but if your sweet potato is a little larger, use what you have.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and set them aside. A half-cup of cherry tomatoes is roughly a handful.
Melt one tablespoon of butter in a skillet on the stove. When the foaming subsides, add the grated sweet potato. Stir constantly for three or four minutes over medium heat. If the sweet potato starts to stick, you may need to add more butter. The sweet potato will soften, but still be firm.
Add the cherry tomatoes and stir constantly for one more minute. The tomatoes will be heated through, but should still retain their shape. Serves 2.
This recipe doubles easily. Start with two tablespoons butter and stir the sweet potatoes for four or five minutes (add more butter as necessary), add the cherry tomatoes and stir for one more minute.
For more sweet potato ideas, try Sunday Sweet Potato Hash and Eggs or Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts.
I love the sweet potato chili recipe. I’m looking forward to cooking it when my CSA starts giving those out. It’s been a big hit with my friends and family.
This recipe kind of reminds me of making latkes for passover.
I agree. That sweet potato chili is very good.
I hadn’t thought of putting the sweet potatoes into latkes. I might try that. Thanks for the idea.