Yum! Sweet Potato Greens

Yes, you read that right! A quick note about sweet potato greens. I discovered them myself only last spring, but I'm so happy I did! They are delicious, raw or cooked, and from what I have read, are actually more nutritious than the root itself! They are mild with a wonderful delicate crunch without even a hint of bitterness. Leaves in the spring and throughout summer and early autumn, and roots in the winter--it's a win, win. Here's a bit of info and a basic recipe idea for those of you brave enough to give it a try.

How can get your hands on some? Although, they are commonly eaten in various areas of the world, in this country, it is likely you'll have to grow them. Fortunately, this is a fairly easy task. There are many varieties of sweet potato, and their leaves are varied as well, as you can see here.

PLEASE NOTE: Sweet potatoes--a misnomer-- are in no way related to potatoes! Sweet potatoes are relatives of the morning glory. Common Potatoes (Russets, Golden, Fingerlings just to name a few) are in the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes and Jimson weed all of which have poisonous greens. Do not eat them!

Here, we are discussing greens of sweet potatoes/yams which in our country, seem to be interchangeable.

To grow your own sweet potatoes, you will start and can continue indefinitely, indoors. A very basic guide...

You will need:

Mason Jars--wide mouth quarts work really well, or washed out leftover peanut butter or pickle jars.

Tooth picks (round are considerably stronger than flat)

Water

Sweet potatoes

Possibly a bit of salt

A warm sunny location

Sometimes, if we have some sweet potatoes for a time over the winter, they will sprout "slips" on their own, little leafy stems. Great! Started for you.

1. Take these sprouted sweet potatoes or unsprouted ones and poke a few toothpicks evenly around the center--the equator-- of the root and place into a jar so that the toothpicks hold the upper half of the root above the water inside. Make sure the root seems to face up the way the leaves seem to want to grow and the root end down.

2. Place jars in a sunny, warm window. Sweet potatoes are a tropical plant and enjoy full sun. Now wait. (If you do not have a warm window in winter, they will not grow as well.)

3. Once the "slips" are a couple inches tall, they can be gently pinched off of root and rooted in their own jars, if you want to grow them in your garden. Otherwise, just let them keep growing on the sweet potato root.

4. As the leaves begin to grow in abundance, gently cut off individual leaves or whole stems for your salads and sautes. The stems are good, too!

5. Periodically, add a pinch of salt to water, and of course refill water in jars as needed. Salt adds a touch of minerals for the plants and also assists in keeping microbe and algae growth in check. If overgrowth of unwanted critters occurs, simply take sweet potato out of the jar over sink, and rinse gently, clean out jar, and begin again. If you happen to have some colloidal silver around, a periodic few drops of that--even better.

Sweet Potato Green Salad--Ready to go salad with mixed red and green lettuces from our garden, foraged purslane (another favorite, loaded with Vit C!), tamari roasted pumpkin seeds*, Annie's Goddess Dressing, and of course, freshly cut and washed sweet potato greens right from our kitchen window! Delicious, satisfying, and oh, so good for you!

Of course, be creative and add whatever are your salad favorites. The greens are delicate and mild enough to go with just about everything! And to go with it, a big cold glass of homemade strawberry kombucha tea! (We sell the Scobies!) Yum!

*Tamari Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Heat 2 T olive oil in your favorite skillet on med high. We love cast iron. Add about 1c pumpkin seeds and stir continuously for about 2-4 minutes until they gently turn golden. Add 2 T Tamari (or to taste, or soy sauce, or Bragg's Aminoes) and TURN OFF heat. Stir as tamari evaporates and coats the pumpkin seeds for a minute or so. If skillet is still very hot, immediately remove seeds to a bowl to cool. Otherwise, allow to cool in pan. Easy and yum! Modify this idea with a 1/4-1/2 tsp of your favorite spices:curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, ginger...just to name a few.

And sauteed? Awesome! Use sweet potato greens in any recipe that calls for a mild green. Simply quickly sauteed in a touch of olive oil with salt and pepper is wonderful...Bragg's, onion and garlic...

We hope this inspires you to try something new! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Inspiring and adding health to people's lives is what we love to do!

Blessings,

Judy, The Farmer's Daughter