Renewing America’s Food Traditions is one of my favorite books. It offers up recipes that celebrate our endangered culinary cultures and divides the U.S. into the diverse “food nations” that are part of the history of the land and what grows and lives on it.
Lemons brighten up the short winter days in this bright version of baked yams. Make a visit to a farmers’ market to search out real “Southern Queen” yams.
Baked Southern Queen Yams Flavored with Fresh Lemon Juice
Ingredients
3 medium Southern Queen yams
1 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 3-inch strip freshly grated Meyer lemon zest (the outer yellow portion of the peel)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
Simmer scrubbed and rinsed sweet potatoes for half an hour or until they are tender. Strain. Let cool for 15 minutes.
1. In a large saucepan combine the sugar, nutmeg, lemon zest, and salt.
2. Add the water, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the butter and stir it into the mixture once it has melted.
4. Stir in the lemon juice, and remove from heat.
5. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice.
6. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
7. Layer the sweet potato rounds on the bottom of a buttered baking dish.
8. Pour the syrup over teh top of the sweet potatoes.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.
