Driftless Organics!

Roasted Roots
6 cups mixed root veggies of choice (parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, celeriac, potatoes, carrots, etc.) cut into uniform bite size pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. white wine, sherry,
apple cider, broth, or water
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage,
rosemary, or thyme
salt & pepper to taste
Combine garlic, liquids, herbs, salt & pepper in large oven proof baking pan. Stir in root veggies & bake at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes, stirring several times, until done. Serves 5-6. If you have leftovers, this makes a delicious soup added to vegetable/chicken broth & pureed with some cream.
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Sweet Potato Pie
1 pound sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
Boil sweet potatoes whole in skin for 20 to 30 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skins. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a soufflé, and then will sink down as it cools.
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Sweet Potato Apple Sausage Bake
Try this incredibly easy & comforting dish from Noah’s mother-in-law.
3 parts sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1” cubes
2 part apples, cubed a bit smaller
1 part Italian sausage, rolled into small balls
1 part onions, cut into thick pieces (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients into a single layer in a cast iron pan or baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. No need for oil, the grease from the sausage & juice from the apples suffice for moisture.
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Winter Root Vegetable au Gratin
1/2 c. yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
! Tbsp. fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. milk
1 c. heavy cream (or condensed milk)
8 c. thinly sliced mixed winter root vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, etc.
1 c. grated cheese of choice such as parmesan, asiago, Gruyere, aged cheddar, etc.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Oil a 7” x 11” baking dish. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients but the cheese & pour into baking dish. Press down any veggies that are sticking out. Top with grated cheese & bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, rotating if necessary, until vegetables are tender & top is crisp. Remove from oven & let stand a few minutes before serving.
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Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon olive (or sunflower) oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place potato wedges in a bowl and add oil; toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Sprinkle spice mixture over potatoes and toss to coat. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. For added kick on the side by adding one of your kung paos to some ketchup.
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Creamy Braised Sweet Potatoes
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 2” pieces
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. salted water or chicken broth
1/4 c. creme fraiche
nutmeg, salt, & pepper to taste
Melt butter in medium sauce pan. Add sweet potatoes & saute for a couple of minutes. Add salted water or broth, cover, reduce heat & simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until sweet potatoes are just tender. Remove lid & simmer for another few minutes until liquid is reduced. Drain & toss sweet potatoes gently with creme fraiche & seasonings to taste. Serve hot.
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Sweet Potato Pear Soup
provided by CSA member, Edith Thayer

1 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 - 1 cup chopped celery
3 cups (about) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups (about) ripe pears, cored and cubed (no need to peel) I used pears from Future Fruit
3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)
1/4-1/2 cup dry sherry or vermouth (optional but tasty)
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)
Thin slices of pear as a garnish for the soup
Chopped fresh parsley if you have any

Heat the oil and saute the onions and celery until tender but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add the sweet potatoes, pears, broth, sherry, cinnamon stick, orange zest, thyme and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30-35 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and pears are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Using either an immersion blender or food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Check seasonings.

Serve the soup with thin slices of pear and some yogurt or sour cream. You can sprinkle with chopped parsley if you wish.

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Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
1 Tbsp. oil
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with rack in the middle. Cut each sweet potato in half cross-wise, then cut each half into half lengthwise, cutting each resultant quarter into 3 or 4 equal sized wedges. Arrange wedges in a single layer on a wire rack inside of a rimmed cookie sheet (this is important to keep wedges from getting soggy) & bake for about 30 minutes, until just tender. Remove from oven & turn it up to 475 degrees. Return baking sheet, minus the rack, to the oven to heat up. Cool the wedges on the rack for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove them to a large bowl. Toss wedges with remaining ingredients & pour them onto the hot pan, spreading them into a single layer. Roast, flipping once, for about 15-20 minutes, until deep golden brown. Serve immediately. (Delicious dunked into a mixture of sour cream, mayo, lime juice, & chipotle powder.)