Comments on: Little White Lab Rat Goes Fruity

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:29:29 +0000

Haven’t thought about the whites, but think pears would be awfully good with sweet potatoes, and some kind of citrus, too, except that I’d probably want to cut the juicy part out of the membranes first.

I foresee a rise in sweet potato consumption among ‘ninnies in the next couple of weeks …

By: Rameumptom

Rameumptom — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:15:57 +0000

This sounds like a great recipe, Ardis. Sweet Potatoes usually are too dry and tasteless for me, and marshmallows too sweet. This will make a “just right” meal of them.

I wonder how apples/bananas or other fruits would work with regular white or russet potatoes, etc? Hmmmmmm…..

By: Sam Brunson

Sam Brunson — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 17:58:04 +0000

Yeah, a mix of sweet and tart sounds great to me.

One of my favorite dishes (we always pull it out around Thanksgiving) is a potato-sweet potato gratin. Basically, you take a casserole dish, thinly slice potatoes and sweet potatoes, and put them in the dish in alternating layers. You boil some milk and cream (probably with salt, thyme, and maybe nutmeg), then pour the hot dairy mixture over the potatoes. Dot it with little bits of butter, cover it with aluminum foil, then cook (probably around 400) for 30 or 40 minutes. Take the aluminum foil off and continue cooking until everything’s soft. It’s absolutely delicious.

By: Researcher

Researcher — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:31:00 +0000

I come from a family in which it is desecration to add marshmallows to a sweet potato dish. Right up there with mashing and spicing the cooked sweet potatoes and rebaking them in hollowed-out orange halves. There is a sweet potato and apple recipe in the old Lion House cookbook, so I just looked at it and it is similar, but it adds a lemon sauce on the top of the apples and sweet potatoes (or "yams") before cooking. I made it one time and didn't care for the texture of the lemon sauce. This recipe sounds easier and better. And finally, on the topic of sweet potatoes, for Thanksgiving I always make Candied Yams. Bake a bunch of sweet potatoes, then peel and slice and cook in melted butter and brown sugar until they become one of those marvelous mysteries of the culinary arts in which the sum is greater than the parts.

By: Cliff

Cliff — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 15:40:42 +0000

I thought every one knew that when you burn your tongue you put sugar on it to make it feel better and to regain taste! Sounds like a good couple of recipes to try out! Thanks.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:49:49 +0000

Pecans would improve just about anything, SilverRain, I’m sure of it.

Paul, have you noticed the number of sugar ads posted at Keepa? I’m a fan of sweet, too — just not on sweet potatoes.

Sam, I used a Gala apple. Because my dishes were small, I only needed one apple. If I made this in a larger, single casserole, I’d probably mix in some Granny Smith, too. Applesauce and apple pie always seems better with a mix of sweet and tart, and this probably would, too, don’t you think?

By: Sam Brunson

Sam Brunson — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:45:22 +0000

I love sweet potatoes (and I’m intrigued by the idea of sweet potatoes with baked bananas). When you made it, what kind of apples did you use? Sweet or tart?

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:43:48 +0000

BTW, just because I like the sounds of this fuity concoction, it doesn’t mean I don’t love those marshmallows. Bring on the molten sugar!

By: SilverRain

SilverRain — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:32:13 +0000

I have a sweet potato casserole I got from a friend that tops with pecans instead of marshmallows. That’s the only way I make it now. Couldn’t stand the marshmallow variety. This sounds good to try.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:03:56 +0000

Boiled yams seem to me to be stringy and dense, when compared to the fluffiness of baked yams. But then, I haven’t had the intensive course in sushi that has trained your palate!

Yeth, thank you, Paul, my tongue doethn’t hurt near ath muth ath it did yethterday.