Sweet Potatoes with Kaffir Lime Leaves

Living in Southern California, it's hard to restrain myself when admiring citrus trees in local nurseries. Sometimes they just have to come home with me.

We have a lemon and orange which were in the garden when we moved in. Now we also have a tangelo and a meyer lemon in pots, a meiwa kumkuat (latest addition - see it here), and a kaffir lime.

Interestingly, although the kaffir lime does have fruit -- which looks like regular limes but bumpy -- it's the leaves that are most often used in cooking.

They are tough, like bay leaves, so I prefer not to actually eat them. But they do impart a spritely citrus note to the foods they're cooked with.

I have found that they combine well with sweet potatoes. The mild citrus and floral notes of the lime leaves lighten the earthiness of the sweet potatoes, and also cut some of their innate sweetness. Altogether a successful dish.

If you don't have a kaffir lime, skip the leaves and use the juice of a regular lime. It will still be a good dish, just less floral. (The leaves of a regular lime tree just smell of leaves, so don't bother using them.)

I keep roasted poblanos in the freezer, easy to whip out and add to a dish like this. If you don't have a stash of your own, you can remedy that next fall. In the meantime, you should be able to find them year round at Mexican markets.

Sweet Potatoes with Kaffir Lime Leaves
2 sweet potatoes (roughly 1 1/2 lbs total)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
juice of 1/2 lime
sprinkle of hot pepper flakes
4 fresh kaffir lime leaves
1 poblano chile
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (optional)

Scrub the sweet potatoes, but don't peel them. Chop into 1-inch chunks. Toss the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet with the oil, 2 tsp lime juice, a sprinkling of salt, and the hot pepper flakes. Tear the lime leaves and scatter over top. (The potatoes should be in a single layer.)

Roast in a 375° oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, roast, peel and seed the poblano. (Click here for instructions.)

Add the poblano to the sweet potatoes and cook another 15 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and lightly browned. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Remove the tough stems from the kaffir lime leaves and slice the leaves into thin shreds. Toss the potatoes with the lime leaves, cilantro, salt and lime juice to taste.

The leaves are edible, but a little goes a long way, so let your guests know it's fine to leave them on the side of the plate.

Serves 2