Messy Manifesto

Once there was a Royal Mess who let her sweet potatoes go for too long. They grew eyes, & arms, & antlers, and the Mess Empress found their tiny leaves so dear that she couldn’t bear to trash the little purple stalks. Instead, she placed them in a shotglass of water on the sill, to see if they’d grow roots .. & they did!

The Empress Mess watched her wee potato eyes grow from purple sprout to leafy “slips” (as she soon learned they were called). When they got plenty large, she moved them to a planter, and put them out on the Royal Porch in the summer-time sun.

“They won’t grow well,” Nanny Mess said when the Empress explained about her porch potatoes, “They won’t have enough room, and the time to plant them is in spring, not summer.” Still, the Messy Empress tended to them, “Because,” she thought,”a nice, leafy vine on a porch that doesn’t get much sun to begin with is luxury enough, even without the promise of home grown sweet potatoes to look forward to.”

Summer passed, and fall, and in winter the sweet potato vines were still full of big leaves. The Empress brought the plants inside from the cold, still tending to them (& sauteing their leaves with olive oil and garlic on occasion). It may be said that at this time, our inattentive Mess nearly forgot all about her little garden! Then one day she went to give them water, and lo ..!

…a bright orange sweet potato had emerged from the soil! It wasn’t large or round .. it was more like a fat root than a potato suited for mashing ..  but it was a bonafide, homegrown sweet potato, and the Empress of all things Messy and Fine sounded her horn for the feast (tiny as it would prove to be)!

A Root Fit For Feasting

Sweet potatoes aren’t everyone’s favourite .. but considering how good they are for you, they ought to be! Root vegetables are a staple of winter sustenance,  your body craves sweet potatoes in the cold months! And did you know they are the most vitamin-rich veggie on earth?

You can fry them, roast them, or mash them into pancakes topped with maple syrup .. but my favourite way to devour sweet potatoes is in my signature court dish, Messy Rice. This dish has made a S.P. eater out of many a guest who’s previous (& unfortunate) exposure to this vegetable usually included a pile of marshmallow on top .. ew. Next time you find yourself serving these roots, do consider this savory option instead; in fact, this is a great dish to sneak any veggie into! Try it with carrots, broccoli, & all kinds of peppers!

Messy Rice

1 1/2 cups brown rice

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups cold water

1-2 cloves garlic (to taste), chopped

1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1″ cubes

1 medium cauliflower (romanesco, if available), rinsed & cut into 2″ hunks

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt, pepper, & red pepper flakes to taste

About a handful of cashews, crushed

Rinse the brown rice until water runs clear. Add stock, cold water, & some salt. Stir. Bring to a boil. Cover & reduce heat to low. Simmer without stirring for 45 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350. Stir sweet potatoes, cauliflower, garlic & seasonings in olive oil until coated. Pour in single layer onto a cooking sheet and cover loosely with foil. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes. You’ll want the potato cubes soft, but not too mushy.

Stir up cooked brown rice with a bit more stock & add vegetables. Serve with crushed cashews on top as a side dish, or saute shrimps or tofu for a main course!

Serves 2-3 guests of average appetite.

I hope this post has tempted some of you sweet-potato-haters to lead a more adventurous and beta-carotene rich existence. What winter dishes keep you feeling warm inside?