From the time I harvesting sweet potatoes as a boy on the farm, they've always had special spot in my heart. They have to be dug up by hand because their irregular shape doesn't suit a conventional harvester and still today, each time I reach into the lush, sandy soil for a new potato it's like discovering a treasure, each one, like people, having its own unique shape and contours. 

The crème brûlée sweet potato is a throwback variety that was developed by crossing the most interesting heirlooms with each other to finally emerge at one of the most extraordinary sweet potatoes I've ever come across. I think we have a preconceived notion of how big a sweet potato should be, long and elongated with a length of about six inches. The crème brûlée isn't afraid to keep growing, some clocking in at a full eighteen inches long with a width as thick as a cucumber. 

They have a low oxidation rate with creamy white flesh similar to an apple and they pair well with just about anything from dairy products and all kinds of herbs to ingredients with a high fat content or those with a spicy finish. They even go well with chocolate and for something truly interesting, add a sprinkle of black pepper to that combination. When we measure the sugars in the crème brûlée the refractometer runs off the charts, which is why one of my favorite ways to eat them is simply roasted, low and slow in the oven, until their natural sugars emerge, transforming this gem into something akin to a dessert with its sweet finish and silky character. 

The other night Mary and I enjoyed a few crème brûlées on a chilly evening at home after a long work day on the farm. Once they were ready, we broke into their feathery alabaster flesh and their syrupy sugars oozed out onto the plate. It was pure crème brûlée magic and I tucked into it. Once we finished, we felt so satisfied, and we realized that we didn't need any dessert that night.

Farmer Lee Jones