Sweet potato-carrot puree a holiday favorite
Thanksgiving tables across the state will have similarities: smiling friends and family, a table of food, thoughts of appreciation and probably some football.
But what food graces their plates and how they express gratitude will be different. In the next three Tallgrass Kitchens, I’ll be sharing recipes from Milwaukee citizens that you may want to consider folding into your own menus and traditions.
Martha Davis Kipcak hails from Texas but settled in Wisconsin 19 years ago and has been working diligently to make Milwaukee a tastier place through her volunteer and business ventures. She founded and serves on the board of the Milwaukee Food Council and owns Mighty Fine Foods. She served as the community curator of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Global Kitchen exhibit this past summer.
Davis Kipcak describes the Milwaukee Food Council as a group of citizens who pay attention to the complexity of Milwaukee’s food system, where food comes from and how it is delivered, alongside issues of food insecurity and urban agriculture, all viewed through a lens of justice. Find more info at
milwaukeefoodcouncil.org.
She shared with me her favorite Thanksgiving vegetable preparation, and besides turkey and pecan pie, it is the only constant on her holiday table. While the puree may remind you of baby food, Davis Kipcak sings its praises.
“It’s a beautiful vibrant orange and silky smooth, that’s why I like it so much. The veggies are seasonable and affordable, and the texture is a nice complement to what else is going on a Thanksgiving plate. I call it sweet potato bliss. It is so soft and melts on your tongue.”
How could you not give it a try after an introduction like that?
It does dirty a few dishes, but it is easily made one to two days ahead of time and can be reheated in the oven while the turkey is resting. It is a simple combination of root veggies, but the addition of lots of butter and decadent crème fraiche give it a luxurious feel that makes this deceptively plain dish velvety and lush.
Davis Kipcak’s company, Mighty Fine Foods, produces Martha’s Pimento Cheese at Milwaukee’s own urban cheese plant, Clock Shadow Creamery.
Pimento cheese is a Southern staple made up of cheese, mayonnaise, pimento peppers and spices. Because it is produced here in Wisconsin, she uses aged Wisconsin cheddar to make this delectable and versatile cheese spread pop.
Pimento cheese can be added to a Wisconsin Thanksgiving. At her website, mightyfinefood.us, you’ll find a list of pairings and recipes, including a gluten-free cornbread. The cheese also adds zip to a leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce the day after the big meal. This simple sweet potato and carrot puree is luscious and rich, and always on Martha Davis Kipcak’s Thanksgiving table. This and the crème fraiche are from “The Silver Palate Cookbook” by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman, 1982). tallgrass kitchen@gmail.com