Sweet Potato Pie

The closest most folks Up North and Out West get to a sweet potato is candied yams at Thanksgiving, and that's a shame. The yam is actually no relation. It is also harder, drier, and woodier-tasting, so it's always served up slathered in butter, brown sugar and marshmallows. Yuck.

The sweet potato is actually a dietary hero in disguise, among the most nutritious vegetables you could eat. It is low in sodium, and very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It is also an awesome source of dietary fiber. One cup of sweet potato that was baked in its skin is full of Vitamin B6 and Potassium, has almost twice the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A, 65 percent of the recommended amount of Vitamin C, and half the daily requirement of Manganese. It is a rich source of B Vitamins, which help the body to combat stress. In particular, it is a good source of Folic Acid, which is important not only for infant development in utero but for many critical processes in the body. It is a good source of Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids, contains all nine of the essential amino acids, and is powerfully anti-inflammatory. Who knew?

The sweet potato has a low glycemic index. Although it contains natural sugars, they digest slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar so you feel satisfied longer. When you feel full, you eat less and eat less often. What could be healthier than that? Sweet potatoes grown in the South taste many times sweeter than their Northern counterparts. It's no wonder they abound by the truckload around here.

Sweet potato pie is as quintessentially Deep South as grits, turnip greens, and sweet tea. Most recipes are loaded with butter, sugar and Karo syrup and result in a custard consistency. Tasty, but not healthy.

In my quest to eat locally grown and produced food year-round, I recently found myself with a large bag of sweet potatoes acquired for a bargain, so I set about creating a healthier version of sweet 'tater pie that lets its natural sweetness truly shine. This pie is more of a dinner veggie than a dessert--which is probably sacreligious in country cookin', bless my little heart. I also drink unsweet tea, so I guess I'll never be truly Southern, but at least I do my grits up proper and slow-cook 'em!

Rosie's Sweet 'Tater Pie

(makes two 9" pies)

Ingredients

1 recipe of your favorite pie crust yielding two 9" crusts OR 2 ready made refrigerated pie crusts

4 medium OR 3 large sweet potatoes

1 15 oz can of Eagle fat-free condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup organic turbinado sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon



Method

-Wash and prick skins of sweet potatoes and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 75 - 90 minutes. They should be thoroughly soft and the juices bubbling through the holes you pricked in the skins should be somewhat caramelized. Allow them to cool to room temperature, peel, and scrape the orange flesh into a bowl. Mash with a fork until they are the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes.

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Place pie crusts into the bottom of two 9" deep dish pie pans, and crimp the edges however you like.

-Put on some music, preferably Alabama's "Song of the South". It doesn't help the pie turn out better, but it's fun to sing along.

- To the mashed sweet potatoes add the beaten eggs and one third of the condensed milk. Blend on low speed with a hand mixer. Add the sugar, and blend. Continue adding the condensed milk a little at a time, beating on low. Add spices and continue beating. Increase speed and whip the mixture until it is thoroughly blended and there are no lumps.

- Divide the sweet potato mixture evenly into both pie pans and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. When a sharp knife or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, the pies are done.

- Allow pies to cool and continue setting for 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

- Keeps well in the refrigerator and may also be served cold.

Enjoy, y'all!

Waste not, want not

I read an article recently that estimated the average American household wastes between $1,500 and $3,000 worth of food annually. In another article, the New York Times estimates that Americans throw out one fourth of what is available to eat. Wow.

We've all found a container of mystery leftovers at the back of the fridge, or thrown out the last 3 pieces of bread in a loaf because they've gone stale. But thousands of dollars worth of food? Could this be true?

An article by Laura Barton (July 8, 2008) in the Guardian, a British newspaper, estimated the average British household wastes roughly $800 worth of food a year. After having lived in England for nearly four years I can easily believe that figure would be lower than it is for Americans, because Brits have different buying habits. They tend to buy small amounts of fresh food daily, as opposed to stocking up with economy-sized, two-for-one "bargains" and putting them away until they are freezer burned or past their use-by date.

As I perused this article I discovered some great tips for avoiding waste. Interestingly, reading them made me aware of "blind spots", and how it is indeed possible to waste large quantities of food each year. I don't know about you, but that's $1,500 I'd rather have in my pocket.

At the risk of being 'punny', here's food for thought (you can read all of Laura's tips here). I hope it inspires you as much as it inspired me!

1. Avoid the supermarket

The idea of the one-stop shop encourages you to buy more than you need. If you do have to go to a supermarket, make a list beforehand and stick to it rigorously - but do check that these are groceries you genuinely need, and not items you have just got into the habit of buying.

2. Shop more frequently for perishables.

By shopping daily or semi-weekly for perishables, you are less likely to buy mounds of vegetables and fruit that will then sit in the fridge spoiling. In addition, you will re-establish a connection with those who produce the food you eat. Supermarkets generally charge more than the independent greengrocer, produce stand, or farmer's market for fresh fruit and vegetables, especially seasonal produce.

3. Buy non-perishables in bulk.

Cupboard staples such as rice, pasta and lentils, along with canned and bottled items, tend to be cheaper in bulk.

4. Be storage savvy.

There are tons of household tips for storing foods to increase their longevity (many of them appear on the lovefoodhatewaste.com site), including keeping apples in the fridge so they last days longer than in the fruit bowl. Also, invest in some Extra Life Discs and Evert-Fresh Bags. These products make the veggies and fruits in you fridge last longer by reducing the ethylene gas that they give off as they ripen. Normally the refrigerator traps this gas, which results in the early rotting of your produce. The bags are reusable, and I can personally attest that this stuff works!

5. Meal-plan for the week.

If, at the beginning of the week, you work out precisely what you wish to cook over the next seven days (some of which may incorporate leftovers), you can then shop more frugally. This approach also eliminates the common feeling of returning from the store loaded with shopping bags but without a clue what to actually cook for dinner (sound familiar?).

6. Reacquaint yourself with your freezer.

The freezer compartment is not just for storing ice cubes and several inches of encrusted ice, but also to keep leftovers for future meals. Goodhousekeeping.com has plenty of basic tips for the novice.

7. Don't be afraid of an empty fridge.

A refrigerator is temporary food storage for perishables. You do not need to buy acres of food each week to keep it chock-full.

8. Buy vegetables whole.

Fresh veggies bought whole are cheaper than pre-chopped ones. They will also last longer, because as soon as fruit or vegetables are processed in any way - even just picked, handled and washed - they begin to decompose.

9. Learn how to use leftovers.

You don't just want to re-heat them as-is? There are websites out there (leftoverchef.com and kitchen-scraps.com are two) that, once you've typed in the primary and secondary ingredients you have left over, will search their databases for recipes to use them up. If that isn't way cool, I don't know what is.

10. Equip yourself.

Introduce yourself to the crock pot, the freezer bag, and the salad spinner. Learn something new! Make your own bread--it's quick, easy and so much better tasting than a loaf of puffed air. It's also much cheaper. Try making your own ice cream; it's more of a treat that way. Try making delicious meals out of what you have in the fridge and pantry, instead of running out for a pizza because you lack inspiration.

As you chop, mince, dice and saute, invite someone else to join you! You'll enjoy creative fellowship with your partner, have a chance to joyfully teach your children, and time will fly.

How to Build Community

Photo by Kelvin Ong, all rights reserved.

One of my readers recently wrote and said, "I envy the sense of community you mention so often in your posts. I really do. But let's be realistic--this is not something you can expect to find outside of small, rural towns...and most of us do not live in small, rural towns."

I hear this sentiment from people often. It is apparently not an isolated one, because it comes from both North and South; from cities of 2 million inhabitants to smaller towns of 30,000; from the affluent, and from people who can barely eke out a living. I understand, because it is a feeling I used to voice quite plaintively in another era of my life.

When I first moved South, I didn't step right into an idealistic utopia. There wasn't a party held in my honor, or even a bunch of neighbors lined up to welcome me into the fold with home-baked banana bread in hand.

What I did find upon arrival in an already-established community was that the social soil was fertile and the climate quite amenable to growing transplants, like me.

Dear readers, it may be true that small, rural towns in the Deep South are more fertile ground for growing community than, say, urban Detroit. Continuing with our gardening metaphor, though, even the poorest soils can be amended with a little bit of work and ingenuity, ultimately yielding as rich a crop as any other locale. In short, it doesn't matter where you live.

When I was a young girl bemoaning the fact that my dreams weren't magically coming true to transform my life, my grandmother--who, incidentally, grew up in small-town, rural Pennsylvania--used to gently chide me by quoting, "If it's going to be, it's up to me." Grandma also said that you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.

What Grandma meant was, "Make it happen! (and be nice)." You can't change the raw materials you've been given, but you can choose what you do with them. You can't always choose your environment, but you can choose how you respond to it. Change is never impossible, and it is sometimes easier than we think.

At the risk of flogging to death my theme that "little things make a big difference", well....they do! Consider these suggestions on how to build community from Karen Kerney:

• Turn off your TV.


• Leave your house.


• Know your neighbors.


• Look up when you are walking.


• Greet people.


• Sit on your stoop/porch.


• Plant flowers. You will bless passers-by without even realizing that you are doing so.


• Use your library.


• Buy from local merchants instead of mega-chains.


• Share what you have (not just resources but things like knowledge, expertise, time, an extra pair of hands, gently used kids' toys or clothes, extra veggies from your garden...)


• Take children to the park.


• Garden together.


• Support neighborhood schools (even if your kids don't go there--do you have time to read stories to elementary students or volunteer twice a month?).


• Have pot lucks.


• Honor elders.


• Pick up litter.


• Talk to the mail carrier.


• Listen to the birds.


• Help carry something heavy.


• Hold a door open for someone.


• Barter for your goods.


• Ask a question.


• Hire young people for odd jobs.


• Organize a block party.


• Ask for help when you need it.


• Open your shades.


• Share your skills.


• Listen before you react to anger.


• Seek to understand.


• Learn from new and uncomfortable angles.


• Know that no one is silent though many are not heard. Work to change this.

What would you add to this list?

In my longings for a sense of community, I have learned over the years that I must reach out to others; I must step out and assume my place as part of a community. The first step is as simple as a warm, smiling greeting to someone in the grocery store who wasn't expecting it. I dare you to implement one of these suggestions every day this week, wherever you are. Next week, implement another. The week after that, still another. Be careful, though...your world will change!

Bean there, done that

On Monday Miss Joan and I were comparing our biscuit recipes, talking about cooking in general and about the kind of country cooking that satisfies hard-working, hungry men in particular. At the same time, we were singing the praises of the abundance of fresh produce that is grown locally and available at farmers' markets and roadside truck beds.

Since we were on the topic of Southern country food, Miss Joan threw down the gauntlet: "There's nothin' like a mess of crowders to satisfy a hungry man. How do you make yours?" For the first time that morning, a look of uncertainty crossed my face. "Ah, well, I've never made them", I replied. "Try it!", she encouraged. Have I mentioned that I'm one of those people who is highly motivated by a challenge?

Tuesday's Gulfport Sun-Herald had an article extolling the virtues of hand-shelled field peas (which are also interchangeably called beans, just to make it interesting). The South abounds with a long list of varieties: purple hull peas, pink lady peas, speckled butter beans, silver crowders, and washday cowpeas, along with the more well-known black-eyed peas and lima beans. They are all members of the legume family, rich in protein, fiber and other nutrients.

Armed with some recipes to try, I set off this morning to the Farmer's Market, over in front of Hudson's Farm Supply. I found a sweet watermelon for my husband and a quarter bushel each of brown crowders, calico butter beans, and baby limas. A dozen fresh brown eggs later, and we were on our way home.

My daughter sat down to a snack of freshly-baked bread and butter while I headed outside to pick green beans, roma tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes from the garden. The latter went into my lunchtime salad, and the romas were reserved for dinner.

Along with some grilled ham steaks, we enjoyed crowders simmered in a light tomato sauce. That's what the recipe calls them, at any rate. After one taste, I was sold. I think I'd call them a little bite of heaven.

Here's what you need:

3 cups shelled crowder peas
1 Tbsp light olive oil
3 slices good quality bacon
1 cup onion, finely diced
1/3 cup celery, finely diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cups fresh tomatoes, finely diced
1 cup pork stock (chicken stock could be used in a pinch)
salt
freshly cracked pepper

Now, here's what you do (it looks like a lot, but is really simple):

Wash and pick over the crowders. Put them in a large saucepan with a piece of ham and cover well with water. Season with a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook, partially covered, skimming off any foam and stirring often until tender but not mushy, anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes. When ready, remove from heat and set aside (don't drain yet).

While the peas are cooking, pour the oil into a cast iron skillet and cook the bacon over medium-low heat, turning as needed, until it is well-browned and very crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside.

Add the onion and celery to the bacon grease (there's very little), sprinkle generously with salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and stir well. If there isn't enough bacon grease, you can add a tablespoon or two of light olive oil so that the onions and celery don't stick and burn.

Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onion and celery are just tender (about 10 mins). Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in the diced tomato and sprinkle with salt. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally, and add stock. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring as needed. Add more stock if the sauce becomes too thick. Taste carefully for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Drain the cooked crowders, retaining the cooking liquid. Add crowders to the simmering tomato sauce and stir well. Simmer gently for five to ten minutes, adding a bit more stock or some of the reserved cooking liquid (known as 'pot likker' in the South) if the sauce becomes too dry. Taste carefully and add seasoning if needed.

Serve hot with the cooked bacon crumbled over it and mixed in. I guarantee you will be expressing your pleasure from the very first bite.

While I was at Hudson's, I also managed to find seeds for our fall vegetable garden: red beets, carrots, romaine lettuce, purple globe turnips, peas, butternut squash, broccoli and onions. That should give me many more recipes to try come October...

Taking on Goliath

I never gave much thought or did much research into the greater impact my small choices would have on the environment or the economy at large. Why? "One person can only do so much", I'd shrug. I didn't see that my little ways could make much of a big difference beyond the four walls I inhabited.

Even before prices started trending upward and the economy spiraling downward, my husband and I had been discussing sustainable living and implementing greater measures of it here in our home and on our land. Our motive? It is just the right thing to do. Again, we didn't really consider an impact beyond the borders of our property.

So, what has changed? The longer I live in a small rural community, the more I realize that our seemingly small choices add up--not only in our own bank accounts, but for our local economies. The more I've read and studied on sustainable living over the past few weeks, I realize that the ripples from one well-thrown pebble continue out beyond town and county, gaining momentum as they merge with the ripples from others, until our national economy is affected as well.

In case you doubt whether small lifestyle changes have a significant cumulative impact, consider these examples:

• Kicking a daily soda habit can save you $130 a month. That's a savings of $1,560 over a year.


• Cutting your daily shower to 10 minutes from 15 minutes will save you $102 a year.


• Brewing your own cup of coffee instead of picking up a latte at Starbucks will save you
  $912 annually. A tall latte at the local Starbucks runs about $3 a cup, or $1,095 a year if you go there every day. If you brew your own at home for 50 cents or less per cup, you'll pay a more modest $183.


• Preparing your own lunch rather than buying out will save $1,460 to $3,650. If you make lunch from last night's leftovers, you can avoid spending an extra $4 to $10 a day.


• If you can avoid paying for bottled water (at $1 to $1.50 a bottle), you can save at least $5 to $7.50 for each five-day work week. That's a yearly savings of $260 to $390.


• If you replace just one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent one you'll save $6 in electricity costs over a year, according to the EnergyStar program. If you've got 20 bulbs in your house, those savings will start to look even brighter--around $120.

Little things? Perhaps. But these six minor lifestyle changes would put $6,734 per year back in your pocket--a significant impact, indeed. That's bigger than any economic stimulus package the government could ever whip up.

One person can (only) do so much.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

~Margaret Mead

Pardon me, ma'am, but your roots are showing

The dictionary defines 'grassroots' as of, pertaining to, or involving the common people, esp. as contrasted with or separable from an elite. I am definitely of the common people. I also get very passionate about issues that pertain to jus' folks, especially when they involve imbalances perpetrated by the privileged and powerful.

It is written that much is required from those to whom much has been given. The public must call to account not only elected authorities, but also those in positions of economic influence. We need to be certain that we elect individuals who will be faithful stewards of the power and resources entrusted to them for their term of office.

However, there is far more to activism that voting, writing letters, making phone calls, and increasing public awareness. Mountains aren't moved by screaming at them or by glitzy ad campaigns. Mahatma Gandhi--perhaps the ultimate example of a grassroots activist--wrote, "BE the change you wish to see in the world". In modern terms, it's called walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

Crisis demands change, and we are a nation in crisis. One person can make such a difference! If a growing percentage of the American population were to step out of the comfort zone and make simple, easy to implement lifestyle changes and choices, the cumulative effect would be powerful. Vote with your wallet, and I guarantee that those in power will listen!

• If you can, buy organic foods and green products. Not only are they free of harmful chemicals; a recent study has proven organic foods to be higher in nutrients than their chemically bombarded counterparts. They also have more flavor. Both of these factors lead to you feeling satiated more quickly, and therefore eating less.


• If you can't--and perhaps even more important than buying organic--buy local foods and eat what is in season.


• Patronize farmers markets.


• Start or expand your garden. Even city dwellers can grow a few things in containers.


• Move your diet away from restaurant fare and over-consuming meat and animal products.


• Buy in bulk and cook your meals at home with healthy whole foods ingredients--vegetables, fruits, beans and grains.

I am grateful that rural life enables me to live these choices on a daily basis. The fewer processed, imported, or transported goods I buy, the less fuel is used to make them and move them. The more I buy locally, the stronger the local economy becomes--which, in turn, benefits me economically. As a fringe benefit, I also spend less on gas and on shipping costs.

Small choices are like pebbles thrown into a pond--they create ripples that spread incredibly far and wide. Small choices lived collectively by large numbers of people make waves of change that improve life for us all.

Make positive choices for yourself, and then take action.

Do something.

Be the change.

Be the pebble that sends out ripples of empowerment.

The High Cost of Low, Low Prices

Wal-Mart is a big deal in small Southern towns. People are either for it or against it, and most likely have personal reasons for their strong opinion. I used to poke fun at the heated debates over the existence of Wal-Mart until I moved here and began to observe its effects firsthand.

Unfortunately, once Wal-Mart takes hold and flourishes in a small community, it soon becomes just about the only gig in town. Over the first five years after a Wal-Mart opens, retailers' sales of apparel drop 28% on average, hardware sales fall by 20%, and sales of specialty stores fall by 17%. Food stores lose 17% of their sales. The flow of money into the local economy dries to a mere trickle. Local businesses are forced to close their doors; Main Streets and old downtown store fronts are boarded up.

Since this once-remote issue is now just outside my back door, I've been doing a lot of reading lately. I once ignorantly thought that Wal-Mart provides jobs and thereby benefits the economy. Alas, the jobs it provides come at a high cost to the community.

A recenty study by the National Bureau of Economic Research used Wal-Mart's own store data and government data for all counties where Wal-Mart has operated for 30 years. It found that the average Wal-Mart store reduces per capita earnings by 5 percent in the county in which it operates.

The majority of Wal-Mart employees' earnings place them far below the poverty line. In addition, Wal-Mart has a habit of forcing employees work off the clock in order to avoid having to classify them as full time and therefore provide benefits. The result is that one 200-employee Wal-Mart store may cost federal taxpayers $420,750 in federal assistance per year.

I was amazed to find that state and local governments actually subsidize about one-third of all Wal-Mart retail stores--at least $1 billion to date.

We have all seen the political cartoon where Wal-Mart is handing U.S. Dollars to China, but here are the actual statistics:

70% of the commodities sold in Wal-Mart are made in China.

Wal-Mart was responsible for about 1/10th of the U.S. trade deficit with China in 2005.

If Wal-Mart were an individual economy, it would rank as China's eighth-biggest trading partner, ahead of Russia, Australia and Canada.

I don't know about you, but I find it absolutely scary that a corporation has that much power to influence the U.S. government and the world economy. Wal-Mart is not the only corporate entity we should be calling to account...the oil companies and pharmaceutical giants are members of this echelon, too. Oh, how far we have fallen in just six decades!

In 1945 most of the United States' six million family farmers were still rotating their crops and cultivating a wide variety of fruits, grains, beans, and vegetables organically, fertilizing with natural compost, and generally practicing sustainable farming methods they had learned from their parents and grandparents.

The nutritious, primarily non-processed foods that people cooked for their family meals were purchased from locally owned grocers who stocked their shelves with a wide variety of items - typically grown or raised within a 100 mile radius of our communities.

The post-war generation was relatively healthy in terms of low rates of diet-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, food allergies, birth defects, and learning disabilities. In spite of the fact that average life expectancy has increased over the past several decades, the health of the general population has declined drastically.

Sixty years later we have become a Fast Food Nation, stuffing ourselves on the industrialized world's cheapest and most chemically contaminated fare. We allow out-of-control politicians, corporations and technocrats to waste our tax money on corporate welfare, destroy the environment, and starve the poor.

Does this mean that I'm becoming a grass roots activist for socio-economic change? What next? Stay tuned for part two...