This month we are featuring potatoes and sweet potatoes which are both stables in my family’s diet. I will be sharing my recipe for Special potatoes which is a combination of the fried potatoes my mother used to make and a recipe from my mother-in-law which she dubbed “Special Potatoes.”

I also have a link to a recipe for Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Broccoli Pesto.

Potatoes are root vegetables native to the Americas. Potatoes were domesticated between 7,000 to 10,000 years ago in Peru and Bolivia. They were introduced to Europe in the second half of the 16th century by the Spanish. Today they are an integral part of the world’s food supply.

Potatoes are 79% water, 17% carbohydrates, and 2% protein with negligible fat. Potatoes are a rich source of vitamin B6, and vitamin C. Potatoes are rarely eaten raw because raw potato starch is hard for humans to digest. They can be boiled, broiled, fried, or baked.

Sweet potatoes are also a root vegetable. They are native to the tropical regions of the Americas. Sweet potatoes are slightly different from yams which grow in temperate and tropical regions, especially in West Africa, South America, and the Caribbean, Asia. And Oceania. The origin and domestication of sweet potatoes occurred in Central or South America about 5,000 years ago. China is currently the leading producer of sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are 76% water, 21% carbohydrate, and 2% protein with negligible fat. They are a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin B6. It’s a moderate source of some B vitamins and potassium. They can be eaten raw, boiled, baked, fried, or broiled.

Special potatoes are the main dish suitable for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.

Special Potatoes Recipe

8-12 potatoes peeled and diced into small pieces

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

1 package ground sausage – my guys like the hot and zesty flavor

Parsley flakes

Fresh ground pepper (can also use lemon and pepper)

Paprika

Cayenne red pepper

Garlic powder

Directions:

Cook sausage in an electric skillet – break into tiny pieces

Add onion and sauté until soft

Add potatoes

Season to taste (I never use exact measurements for my own recipes)

I cook at around 300 degrees until the potatoes are soft, stirring frequently so they don’t stick.

Usually takes 30-45 minutes

Serve with toast or biscuits and cut-up orange slices.

Here is the link to the sweet potato recipe, https://www.jaroflemons.com/baked-sweet-potatoes-w-chickpeas-broccoli-pesto/

I like this recipe because it can be changed depending on the ingredients you have on hand. I used walnuts instead of pine nuts and I added walnuts to the broccoli pesto. I used green cabbage instead of red cabbage though red cabbage would have added more color. I also used sesame oil in the pesto instead of coconut oil. I added a few more spices, harissa, black pepper, red pepper, garlic, and smoked paprika.

The recipe is fast and easy to make. While the sweet potatoes are baking, you can make the pesto and flavor the chickpeas. The next time I make this recipe I think I will add red, green, and yellow peppers for a garnish.

For September 2022, our vegetable of the month will be green beans.

The Twelve Months of Vegetables

January                           Cabbage               Mahi Mahi Soft Tacos

February                         Zucchini                Chocolate Zucchini Bread

March                              Leeks                     Colcannon

April                                 Carrots                  Gingered Carrots & Kale Ribbons and Carrot Cake

May                                  Beets                     Quinoa Burgers & Vegan Poke Bowl with Beets

June                                 Kale                       Tuscan White Bean Soup & Sweet Potato Noodles

                                                                          & Garlic with Kale

July                                   Broccoli               Roasted Broccoli & Tofu w/Creamy Miso Dressing and                                                                           Chicken Broccoli Shells

August                            Potatoes              Special Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas &

                                                                          Broccoli Pesto

September                    Green Beans     

October                          Spinach

November                     Corn

December                     Asparagus