O'Henry!

Oh, the lure of something new (at least new to me) at the farmers market. Our local farmers market is held every Saturday morning all through the year. Of course it's great through the summer months but being able to shop there when it's cold outside--like it was today--is a special treat.

Today there were the usual bakers and chocolatiers and meat vendors. Of course, the orchards were in full swing with a wide variety of apples and cider. There were multi-colored cauliflowers and lots of greens, like kale and collards, and even a few late-comer tomatoes. (I also bought the poblano peppers that you see in the background to make chiles rellenos--maybe tomorrow.) The vegetable that was new to me is a variety of sweet potato called O'Henry. It's a creamy yellow potato without the characteristic stringy texture of a traditional sweet potato. At the market, near the bin of sweet potatoes, there was a basket of homegrown ginger root. A big surprise to me because I thought ginger only grew in Asia. Who knew? It was beautiful, fresh ginger, not sinewy like the ginger I usually buy at the grocery store.

Over the potatoes and ginger there was a sign that suggested roasting the O'Henry potatoes with shredded ginger and coconut oil. That's exactly what I did and they are incredibly delicious. The ginger adds a bit of a zippy dimension to the sweet potatoes. I'm so doggone spoiled. Here's the general idea:

Oven-Roasted O'Henry Sweet Potatoes with Ginger

4 medium O'Henry sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon coarse-grated black pepper

Toss all ingredients, place in a shallow roasting pan, and bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Toss several times while baking to roast evenly.