Elevating the sweet potato

"It grows in the ground, is considered a staple in the diet of the lower economic classes, comes wrapped in an ugly brown skin, doesn't stand out among the vast array of supermarket vegetables, and, to be candid, is just plain ugly."

That's how Lyniece North Talmadge, in her book on the subject, describes the sweet potato. As the daughter-in-law of the late Herman Talmadge -- legendary senator from Georgia, a state, like most Southern states, where they're sweet on sweet potatoes -- Lyniece knows what she is talking about. Her unflattering description of the sweet potato notwithstanding, the lowly tuber will be on the vast majority of Thanksgiving tables Thursday.

It's a shame, though, to relegate sweet potatoes to the holidays. First of all, there is a lot more you can do with them besides candying them and topping them with marshmallows. This practice is probably the most popular Thanksgiving preparation of the vegetable, despite the view of New York Times food columnist Mark Bittman that he cannot think of a greater injustice done to an ingredient. He suggests instead roasting, braising, frying, putting them in breads and cakes, or making a tart or pie out of them. (Henry VIII was particularly fond of eating them in the guise of pie, especially since in his day the sweet potato had the reputation of being an aphrodisiac.) During the Civil War, sweet potatoes -- thinly cut, dried, ground and brewed -- were even used as a substitute for coffee.

Beyond their versatility, sweet potatoes are extremely high in nutrition. In fact, the Center for Science in the Public Interest recently ranked the sweet potato as No. 1 in nutrition of all vegetables, placing it far ahead of the second-place vegetable, the mere white or "Irish" potato. By the way, the two are not related. The sweet potato is actually a member of the morning glory family. Moreover, even though it's called a "sweet" potato, the tuber actually has the lowest glycemic index (a measure of the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels) of any root vegetable.

The inhabitants of the New World instinctively knew this. By the time Columbus arrived in this hemisphere to snatch some sweet potatoes and take them back to Europe in a basket for presentation to Queen Isabella, their cultivation was already widespread here. The plant's roots, so to speak, can be traced back as least as far as 8000 B.C. to caves in Peru. Indeed, the word potato derives from the Peruvian word "batata," which denotes any tuber.

But the sweet potato, which, incidentally, is a totally different plant than the African yam, is not just any tuber. It's something no less than the turkey, the cranberries and even the pumpkin pie, that we can be thankful for Thursday and, for that matter, throughout the year.

Sweet Potato Ravioli

This recipe, adapted from Bon Appetit, turns the ugly tuber into an elegant appetizer or main course. Using instant mashed sweet potatoes and wonton wrappers makes it far easier than it looks. For an even more chic look cut the ravioli into rounds with a fluted biscuit cutter.

1 (3.15-ounce) pouch instant mashed sweet potatoes

48 wonton wrappers

1 egg white, beaten until foamy

1 stick butter

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

10 oz. baby spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

chopped toasted pecans

grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare sweet potatoes according to package directions and let stand 3 to 5 minutes to stiffen. Brush a wonton wrapper lightly with beaten egg white. Place a tablespoon of mashed sweet potato in center of wrapper. Top with another wrapper, pressing edges together to seal.

Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Melt butter over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Cook ravioli in boiling salted water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Lightly saute spinach in olive oil. Place spinach on serving plates and using slotted spoon top with ravioli. Spoon brown butter sauce over. Garnish with pecans and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Tom Harte's book, "Stirring Words," is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Fridays 8:49 a.m. on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at news@semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699.