A spiced pie, comforting stew, herbed gratin — there’s almost no end to what can be created with sweet potatoes. As this root vegetable’s season arrives in Richmond, it ushers in the opportunity to explore the incredible versatility of sweet potatoes, especially at local restaurants and bakeries.
The Roosevelt is one such destination. The iconic Church Hill restaurant occasionally offers a salt-roasted sweet potato dish that will whisk one’s taste buds away to paradise.
“We wanted to make the sweet potato a main course and showcase its savory qualities a little more,” says Executive Chef Leah Branch. “The components of the dish are based on an African-style curry with beans to make it a more hearty meal.”
Launched about two years ago, the dish has gone through a few variations, including once being adorned with fried okra and pepper vinegar. A recent version featured the moist, salty sweet potato nestled within tahini sauce and topped with fried greens. “It tends to cycle on and off the menu but we really like eating it in the fall or winter,” says Branch.
At Little Nickel, there’s the Ipanema sandwich which features tender sweet potato shavings layered on lightly toasted bread and covered in melted Gruyère, caramelized onions and kale and then topped with a lemon-garlic aioli.
Carytown’s Montana Gold Bread Company bakes homemade sweet potato bread, and during Thanksgiving, has sweet potato dinner rolls.
Proper Pie’s sweet potato pie will be rolling out this October, but if you’re looking for something a little more savory, the pie shop sometimes offers a lamb and kūmara pastry. This is made with New Zealand sweet potato (kūmara), ground lamb, onion and rutabaga.
And as the autumn progresses there’s plenty more to look forward to, like at Scoop where a vegan sweet potato Biscoff ice cream will likely debut in November alongside chocolate sweet potato ice cream pie.
For those who prefer to experiment with sweet potatoes themselves, Richmond’s farmers markets are a great way to source fresh local taters, like the Farmers Market at St. Stephen’s, Birdhouse Farmers Market and Fall Line Farms and Local Roots online store where you can find Liberty Tree Farm.
Situated in Bumpass, the organic-focused farm has been growing sweet potatoes for 10 years, like covington, an all-purpose orange variety with a malty sweet taste.
“We plant sweet potato slips in early May and harvest the first week of October,” says owner Jon Bremer. “We cure the sweet potatoes for two weeks after harvest and usually have them available for sale by the end of October.” The curing is done in a dark space at 70-80℉, encouraging the sweet potato skins to harden which helps the vegetable have a longer shelf life.
Last year, Liberty Tree Farm grew around 3,000 pounds of sweet potatoes, most of which are sold out for the season by the first week of January, but each year’s harvest varies. This year, groundhogs have been a problem. “They have been snacking on the greens all summer and we are concerned that the damage may affect the yield,” says Bremer. “We won’t know for sure until we start digging in October.”
Part of the morning glory family, sweet potatoes are native to Central and South America. While the saccharine orange version is what most are familiar with, there’s also purple (a slightly drier flesh with earthy notes) and white (starchier with creamy, nuttier flavors).
The plant’s nutrient-dense leaves are also edible and reminiscent of spinach. Liberty Tree sells some sweet potato greens during the summer before the autumn harvest. “It’s a nice seasonal thing we offer,” says Bremer.
If you’re unable to try some before the season is over, Chef MaMusu’s Africanne on Main has Liberian sweet potato greens sauce, a dish featuring sweet potato leaves simmered with ingredients like chicken and smoked turkey.
As the autumn chill waltzes in over the coming weeks, consider warming up with local sweet potato dishes and treats or cooking some yourself. It’s a great way to support the community while taking your palate on a delicious adventure.
