Freezing rainy spring

People think a lot about eating seasonally these days, and with good reason. It is very satisfying to eat with a sense that whatever place you are is not just any place but this one, and that seasons and their fruits remain ephemeral. Anticipation and then recollection are important parts of sustenance, I think. So here’s to the seasons.

But they don’t often tell us what to eat for dinner. Unless you live in Alaska (and I’m so sorry if you do), many seasons bear lots of things which can be cooked in lots of ways. So what about eating moodily? I admit that I’m a bit of a yuppie, do most of my shopping at farmers’ markets, and therefore have no choice but to eat mostly seasonally. But more than that, I like to eat what I want to eat, which, I suppose, is a bit of a tautology, isn’t it?

Anyway, my mother is the best at this. I still don’t quite understand most things she likes to eat. I find them variations of weird and plain—think raw spinach with a slice of American cheese rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla—but that doesn’t matter. She’s very good at eating exactly what she wants, no more, and nothing else. She is also the healthiest person I know. She raised me in a place that might be called South (with a capital S), which is to say that love of sweet potatoes and of butter and of pork is in my blood. Together, they made darned good dinner for a freezing rainy night in spring.

Honey roasted sweet potato with brown butter, bacon + crispy sage

1 sweet potato  |  olive oil  |  salt + pepper  |  honey  |  1 (or more!) slice bacon  |  butter, as much or as little as you would like  |  sage leaves, cut into a chiffonade  |  spinach, a big handful

Heat oven to 375.

Cube the sweet potato (smaller cubes will cook faster) and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of honey. When the oven is hot, roast until browned at the edges and good enough to eat. Taste it to make sure, but plan for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the bacon in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally. When cooked to your liking, place on paper towels to drain, and discard as much of the grease in the skillet as you can and wipe out. Place the same skillet over a lower heat, and add the butter. Cook until it is brown and smells nutty, swirling occasionally after it has melted. This could take some time, but it is worth it. When done, remove from heat and toss in the sage. It may sizzle and sputter a bit. The sage will fry and become crispy.

By now, the sweet potatoes should be done. Remove them from the oven, scrape into a big bowl, and add the bacon, brown butter + sage, and spinach. Toss, taste for seasoning, and serve.

Serves 1