Roasted Sweet Potatoes with New York State Maple Syrup and Rosemary Recipe

I had some free time before I had a freelance photography event I had to cover so I thought hey, why don't I head to my favorite produce stand up the road!  I bought a whole case of yams for only 3 bucks.  I really don't know what I am going to do with all these sweet potatoes, so if you are curious why the next few weeks there are so many yam recipes on here, it now should make sense.  Once starting to bake, the syrup starts to caramelize, which further enhances the sweet, earthy flavor of the roasted veggies and intensifies the rosemary.  Am I painting an aromatic dining experience yet?   

5 large sweet potatoes, cubed

2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary

Salt and Ground Pepper to Taste

1.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Drizzle olive oil and maple syrup on top.  Sprinkle the dried rosemary.  Mix so that everything is incorporated.  

2.  Place into the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender.  

Sweet Potato Cakes with a Peach Lime Salsa

This is the perfect recipe to make while entertaining for guests.  It's totally different than probably anything they would expect you to make and is perfect out on the patio!  The fruity and refreshing salsa compliments the sweetness and warm depth of the flavors from the potato.  Try using the peach salsa on top of grilled chicken or fish too! 

2 sweet potatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1 pinch of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/2 cup of panko crumbs

Salt and Freshly Ground Potatoes

For The Peach Salsa

2 ripe peaches, with skins removed, diced

2 teaspoons of honey

4 mint leaves, chopped finely

1 teaspoon of chili pepper puree (the kind that comes in a tube)

1 tomato, diced

2 green onions, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon lime juice

1.  Take a fork and poke several holes in the sweet potatoes.  Microwave the potatoes for about 8 minutes or until tender and then peel the skins off of them.

2.  In a frying pan, add olive oil garlic and onions and saute for about 3-5 minutes or until tender.

2.  In a medium sized bowl mash the potatoes.  Then add the garlic, onions, butter, nutmeg and ground cloves.  Combine all ingredients and shape into pattys.  Put in a bowl in the refrigerator for about 15-30 minutes while making the salsa by combining all the ingredients.

3.  Heat the pan that you used to saute the onions and garlic.  Add the patties and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side.  Place on a dish and then serve with the salsa.