Thanksgiving in Louisiana, aka Sweet Potato Heaven

[caption id="attachment_79" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Susan's father, Harvey Garrett, as Yambilee King in 1955, seen with the Yambilee Queen and the winning jockey at an Ohio horse race on that year's "Yam Tour" (each year the Yambilee royalty and members of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Advertising commission would travel by train to a different market to promote sweet potatoes.)"][/caption]Thanksgiving.  A truly American holiday.  The one day when we gather specifically for the purpose of eating as much fabulous food as possible in one sitting.  The day we celebrate the elastic waistband. 

Susan of Grandmother's Buttons has some Thanksgiving traditions that grew out of her family's sweet potato farm (quite literally!).  We're sharing a couple of recipes from her Thanksgiving menu.  We've even included a photo of her Father as the Yambilee King!  

Here's what Susan has to say about the holiday: 

I grew up on a sweet potato/cattle farm in from the late 1950s through the '60s. Thanksgiving was, of course, a huge holiday for us, and that year's sweet potato crop always had a front and center place on the menu.   I remember the classic marshmallow-topped casserole from my earliest Thanksgivings, but later we became partial to this rich, praline-topped concoction: 

[caption id="attachment_74" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Sweet Potato crate label from our local packing and canning plant, Princeville, now defunct. Such crate labels have become a hot collectible down our way, and framed reprints brighten many Louisiana kitchens."][/caption] Praline Sweet Potatoes

 6 cups mashed sweet potatoes (8-10 raw), 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup butter - melted, 4 eggs, 3 teaspoons vanilla

Bake potatoes at 350 degrees until soft, let cool and then peel. Puree potatoes in a food processor until very smooth, and then poor into bowl. Add remaining ingredients and beat well with a mixer. Poor into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish, sprinkle with topping and bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Topping

1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup flour. ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup butter, 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in bowl, then cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans and then sprinkle on top of potato mixture.

Today there's a host of recipes that take the sweet potato well beyond is its candied or marshmallowed past; many of these are savory rather than sugary.  Below is Chef Sally Robert's take on a current Louisiana favorite:

Sweet Potato and Andouille Soup

Chef Sally Roberts, Flagons "A Wine Bar & Bistro"

 Ingredients

1 small onion, diced, 3 stalks celery, finely sliced, 3 tablespoons butter, 2 ½ cups peeled sweet potatoes – diced, 2 quarts chicken broth, Pinch of cinnamon, ½ lb andouille sausage - casings removed and coarsely chopped, ¼ teaspoon cayenne or to taste, Pinch of nutmeg, 3 drops hot sauce or to taste, ¼ teaspoon white pepper or to taste, salt to taste

Instructions:

Melt butter and saute onion and celery until translucent and celery is tender. Add potatoes and cover with chicken broth, then cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add 3 cups chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are tender.

In the meantime, saute 1/2 pound andouille sausage until it begins to brown. Remove from heat. When sweet potatoes are tender, puree the mixture in batches in a food processor. Return to pan, add the sauteed sausage and more broth or water if necessary to make a velvety smooth consistency. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, hot sauce, white pepper and salt. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Verify seasoning and serve piping hot with chopped parsley. Serves 6.

[caption id="attachment_76" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sweet Potato Fields in Louisiana"][/caption]

Whatever your plans and family traditions or recipes, we'd love to hear about them at Grandmother's Buttons.  We might even get a chance to share them in a post between now and Christmas. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your's!