Sweet potato fries

One of the great things about going to the Farmer’s Market is that you find real-looking food.  The apples aren’t all perfect, the onions are lopsided, and the heads of lettuce are HUGE.  So, apparently, are the sweet potatoes:

What’s a girl to do with a sweet potato this big?  MAKE FRIES WITH IT, OF COURSE!

Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Ingredients
1 sweet potato
1 pinch each cayenne, paprika, cayenne
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste

1) Slice a sweet potato into thick sticks.  Easiest way to do this is to cut the potato into slices lengthwise, then cut those down.

2) Toss potatoes into a pot, barely cover with cool water, and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.

3) One pinch each cayenne powder, paprika, and cinnamon in roughly equal portions, to taste.  I obviously have a bit more paprika here than either of the other two.

4) After boiling the potatoes for 5 minutes, drain.  They will not be fully cooked.  This is called parboiling and it is a GREAT way to make cooking potatoes take way less time.  Try it next time you want to roast potatoes for dinner!

5) Toss potatoes with spices and vegetable oil.

6) Lay potatoes on a sheet pan. It is important that they do not touch one another, because this will cause them to steam and make one another soggy.  Put them in a pre-heated 375 F oven for approximately 25 minutes, turning once halfway through. You may want to set your oven higher for crispier fries; our oven will “burn” and set off the fire alarm if I go over 375, unfortunately.

7) You’ll know when they’re done, because they look like this:

You’ll notice that the ones on the right have some burnt spots — this is where spices congregated.  Tasty!

Sprinkle with salt while still hot and serve.  If you like dipping sauces, try sour cream and lime juice whisked together with a pinch of chili powder.  Enjoy!