Sweet Potato + Lime

 Discovered recently, during a time at which two sweet potatoes were languishing on the counter, while at the same time, some key limes (a 99-cent store find) were begging to be used in more savory ways, this is the best combination I've come up with in a long time, or possibly ever. They're that good. 

Sweet & savory, salty, peppery, sweet potato fries, topped with lime juice.

Better than curly fries, and for me, that's really sayin' somethin'. (curse you, curly fries! my downfall, my weakness...)

These are so simple to make that it's hard to write it down as a recipe; it's more like, you just use up what you've got, and you chop it up to the size you want; it's more of a feeling, a hankering for something oven-roasted & tangy at the same time.

The few ingredients needed are: peanut oil, sweet potatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and any other spices you might like. I like a sprinkling of red pepper - just enough to give a bit of a bite. Peanut oil is the essential part here - it has a richer flavor than most other oils, and can tolerate high temps without scorching. 

So, the recipe already:  

Sweet Potato Fries

w/ Lime

Heat oven to 400F.  Grease a large baking pan lightly with peanut oil. 

Slice two sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds.

Chop each round into1/2 inch wide sticks to resemble fries.

Place sticks in pan; spread in an even layer.

Drizzle more peanut oil over sticks; toss gently to coat.

Top with salt & pepper, and any other seasonings; red pepper is good.

Roast for 30 minutes, flip sweet potato sticks over, top with more salt & pepper, and garlic powder.

Roast 35 minutes more, or until fries are done. They should be tender and, if you're lucky, somewhat caramelized.

Devour warm, with lime wedges for serving.     

Ramble On

Spring is almost here. Things are just blooming; fruit trees have many pink buds just about to open, while others are just unfurling leaves. Birds have paired up, and are now singing and courting on the warmer days.  They have the prettiest voices.

Life is hectic right now. Travelling. Working. Gardening. Canning. Photograph-taking.
Visiting with a friend in the hospital. Later, decompressing at a local pizza spot with family, talking figs (what else) with the owner.

 I wish I had some pretty pictures to share today, but my camera has a thing against the computer right now. I do have a million posts lined up, but they will be so much better with visual aid.  

   Citrus is in full swing, and it's a race to capture their essence and try to contain them in jars. Most recently that meant meyer lemon marmalade (I am so posting that recipe), the lemons plump and fresh as any I've ever seen - and I grew up with a tree in the backyard.  They came from the farmer's market - a good one; I love it when the vendors aren't hawking cheap plastic junk.  After gathering the best the market has to offer (mushrooms! blood oranges! beets! kohlrabi!), doing a bit of browsing in the surrounding shops feels incomplete without a tall glass of limeade in hand... There will be lots of pictures.

   Also, I made up a killler rice pudding with coconut milk and lemon zest and cinnamon, the three essentials. It's so easy, and completely clean. I'm very proud of that one. Three different topping combos that look as good as they sound.
   
I had my birthday recently, and I made a cake for myself. It was a huge success, as it did not last.
   
 Valentine's Day came and went without much ado, but I did manage to make white chocolate cupcakes. They went incredibly well with homemade raspberry jam.
   
As the weather is still iffy, my favorite things to eat are soups: white bean with rosemary & carrot soup, a beautiful, brothy, mushroom-rich bok choy soup, and a gorgeous roasted-tomato soup. They work for both cold or warm-ish days.
 
 I've been doing some pinning, finding some very cute food sites along the way. And many more recipes to try.
   
Alot of jam is being eaten around here. Finding which are good, which are not, and which to absolutely make again this year. I'll be posting the results soon.

 Finally, there will be some photos of the Tet Fest in Little Saigon. So. Many. Flowers.

Cheers.