Sweet potatoes are American natives that traveled with Christopher Columbus over to Europe on his first return trip. Within just a hundred years they made their way to Africa and southern Asia. During the 17th century they were widely cultivated in the southern U.S.

    Since sweet potatoes are tropical they should not be stored in the refrigerator. Choose uncracked, unblemished sweet potatoes and store them loosely in a cool, dry place. If they've been harvested and cured properly they will store quite awhile.

   Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' Pulitzer winning book, The Yearling tells the tale of Jody Baxter and his family living in post-Civil War rural Florida. The Baxters depended on their crops of cow peas, field corn and sweet potatoes supplemented with hog, bear or deer meat to keep their family alive from year to year.

    I also came across an article from 1931 telling about growing and eating sweet potatoes in Florida. The tropical sweet potato has grown well here locally for a long time. The article tantalizes "a well matured sweet potato baked in the skin needs no sweetening, nor additions. It supplies sufficient sugar for a meal and is within itself a dessert." Instructions for preparing say a "sweet potato develops the best flavor when baked. Wash well, grease with butter or bacon and bake in covered pan inside oven. The skin, when brown, cracks and allows steam to escape. Split through center or break into halves crosswise and butter. Serve hot. A good sweet potato needs no extra 'trimmings'. Even the peeling is palatable."

    I planted sweet potatoes in my own Florida garden for the first time this year. They are easily started with "slips", little rooted vines slipped into the soil. The vines grew like crazy nearly engulfing a gate on one side of the yard as they tried to climb up the side of the house. I wasn't sure exactly when to dig them up so I only dug up half and let the other half continue to grow a little longer. I found sweet potatoes of all sizes and shapes hiding deep in the soil. I can't wait to see what is hiding underground in the spot that is still left.

    There are many ways to eat sweet potatoes beyond the basic but delicious baked sweet potato. We often cut sweet potatoes into thin wedges and toss them with sea salt, chili powder and melted butter then roast them in a 425 degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. The resulting sweet-hot oven fries go well with burgers or hotdogs.

    Another fun and fabulous way to serve sweet potatoes is to mash them just like you would white potatoes. Try this twist the next time: Take 2-3 pounds of peeled and cubed sweet potato and boil it covered in water for about 15 minutes until it is tender. Drain off the water, let the potatoes dry just a bit in the still-hot pan and then add in a half cup of cream and a tablespoon or two of butter. Use a potato masher to get them good and mashed, then add in a teaspoon or two of chipotle chili powder, a quarter cup of honey, 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and sea salt to taste. Mash everything up together well and serve with roast chicken or pork chops.

    The fanciest way I've ever seen to eat sweet potatoes was a recipe in Southern Living where they made individual servings of scalloped sweet potatoes using muffin tins. It looked and sounded so yummy I just had to try it!

1 or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

2/3 cup cream, not ultra-pasteurized

1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

   Grease 12 muffin cups with butter. Distribute half of the sweet potato slices among the muffin tins in layers. Sprinkle with half of the thyme and half of the cheese. Top with the rest of the sweet potatoes.

   Place the cream, garlic, salt, pepper and remaining thyme in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer until the cream is warmed and infused with the garlic and thyme. Spoon the cream mixture evenly over the sweet potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Bake another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. Remove from the oven, let them stand a few minutes to set, then carefully run a sharp knife around the edges and lift them out with two forks onto your plates.