Fall / Winter: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honeyed and Herbed Goat Cheese, Cranberries and Pecans
SELECTING SWEET POTATOES:
Look for small to medium sized sweet potatoes with firm, smooth and even toned skins. Larger potatoes tend to be starchier and less sweet, so avoid selecting them when possible. Sweet potatoes are usually harvested across the US from September through October, though it can take up to eight weeks of curing and storage before they develop their signature sweet flavor.
STORING SWEET POTATOES:
Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark and dry place. Do not wash sweet potatoes until you are ready to use. If there is excess dirt on the sweet potatoes, you can wipe them with a paper towel prior to storing.
THE RECIPE:
3-4 Beauregard Sweet Potatoes
Oil, as needed
Brown Sugar, as needed
Ground Cinnamon, as needed
8 oz. Vermont Creamery Clover Blossom Honey Goat Cheese
3 Tbsp Half and Half
1/2 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Tbsp Honey
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Dried Cranberries, for garnish
Glazed or Candied Pecans, for garnish
TO MAKE:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash and peel potatoes, and cut into 1/2” thick rounds. You should have around 24 rounds.
In a medium mixing bowl, whip the goat cheese, half and half, honey, and fresh thyme leaves using an electric mixer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine oil, brown sugar and cinnamon. Lightly baste each side of the potato rounds with the mixture.
Line basted rounds on a large sheet pan, and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Remove potatoes from the oven, flip, and return to oven for another 10 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oven, and allow to rest on the counter until cool enough to handle without burning hands.
Spoon or pipe a dollop of the goat cheese mixture onto each round.
Garnish with chopped dried cranberries and glazed pecans.
Serve immediately. If not serving until later, cool the oven to 150 degrees F or place on the “warming” setting. Return topped and garnished rounds to the oven until ready to serve. Be careful the heat is low enough not to melt and pool the goat cheese.
