Pilgrim’s Pride: Thanksgiving Side Dish

As we head into Thanksgiving, Y&H wants to help you eat like a pilgrim (a Native American, too, because we’re all about equal opportunity eating here). In other words, we want to help you eat locally for the holiday. Almost 400 years ago, the pilgrims had no choice but to eat local. These days, we do. But it’s not easy.

Forget the standard yams and sweet potatoes. For something really different, try the Murasakiiro IMO (aka, the “Okinawan sweet potato”), which is actually part of the yam family. Sold at the Homestead Farm stand at the Takoma Park farmers market, this tuber has purple flesh, which will make for a colorful side dish to a meal so often saturated in boring browns and whites. Mash it with butter, cream, and ginger for a sweet-and-aromatic combination that should pair perfectly with your standard turkey dinner.

Photo courtesy of Asian Aisle

Tags: Asian Aisle, holiday dinner, Homestead Farm, Murasakiiro IMO, Okinawa sweet potato, Pilgrim's Pride, Takoma Park farmers market, Thanksgiving dinner