The Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes are the new ‘“IT” plant for 2021! Combining beautiful, ornamental foliage with delicious edible tubers these sweet potatoes really are a must grow. This year they were the star of my Thanksgiving dinner!
These new varieties are the result of a collaboration between my friend Pat Fitzgerald of FitzGerald Nurseries and Louisiana State University Ag Center. As an innovator in sweet potatoes in Europe, FitzGerald identified an opportunity to enhance all the healthy and ornamental attributes of ipomoea with the nutritious root of conventional sweet potatoes. Led by Professor Don Labonte, LSU breeders worked to combine the best edible and ornamental attributes, and the Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes were born.
The Treasure Island series delivers months of color above and below ground. Leaves comes in unique shapes and colors, and the foliage tastes great in salads and smoothies. The edible roots also come in a variety of colors, are highly nutritious and are a great source of dietary fiber.
Like all sweet potatoes, the Treasure Island series prefer to grow in FULL SUN through the frost free months of summer. They do best in conditions with evenly moist , well drained soil. My native sand is ideal for cultivating large tubers that will be harvested approximately 5 months after planting.
Last spring I received a box of Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes to trial in my garden. I was THRILLED to get these planted in my foodscape. They thrived all summer long, growing a a lush groundcover in sunny areas around my house. Despite early summer browsing from deer and rabbits, the vines grew strong.
Fast Forward to Thanksgiving
This year I decided to do something a bit out of the ordinary with my sweet potato harvest. Instead of the traditional “too-sweet-for-me-to-eat” marshmallow covered casserole, I decided to offer a first course baked sweet potato tasting, so we could sample each variety and really examine the differences between each cultivar.
I baked a single sweet potato of each variety in an oven safe dish with 1/4 cup of water for 1 hour at 350F. each cultivar had a slightly different seasoning- listed below.
*Remember, I DO NOT MEASURE WHEN I COOK, so I am listing the ingredients NOT measured amounts.
‘Manihi’
1/4-1/2 cup water
350F oven for 1-1.5 hours
3 drops REAL vanilla
Drizzle of honey
Sprinkle of sea salt, cinnamon, brown sugar
3 tabs of butter
This was a delicious, sweet treat, more in line with traditional sweet potato preparation. I will make this again and plan to serve it as an end course, maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!
‘Kaukara’
1/4-1/2 cup water
350F oven for 1-1.5 hours
3 cloves fresh garlic
Juice from 2 fresh limes
Sprinkle chili lime seasoning, salt, sage, turmeric
This spicy, savory rendition was a surprise favorite for everyone. The combination of the sweet potato flavor and the citrus was well paired. I think this would be a great addition to vegetarian/ vegan tacos, and would be excellent served with fish and other garden fresh veggies.
‘Makatea’ THE WINNER!
1/4-1/2 cup water
350F oven for 1-1.5 hours
3 cloves fresh garlic
Drizzle of olive oil
Sprinkle of parsley, thyme, cumin, salt
I served this with a drizzle of glazed balsamic vinegar which complimented the sweetness of the potato. The savor flavors of the seasonings were an excellent contrast, resulting in compliments from around the table. Overall, this was the unanimous favorite!
‘Tahiti’
1/4-1/2 cup water
350F oven for 1-1.5 hours
3 drops of REAL vanilla
3 tabs of butter
This simple bake was served with a sprinkle of course maple infused salt and a drizzle of real maple syrup. It had the perfect level of sweet-salt flavor with a rich, creamy texture and flavor. This was a close second place, and I plan to recreate this many time for upcoming meals.
‘Tatakoto’
1/4-1/2 cup water
350F oven for 1-1.5 hours
Drizzle of olive oil
Sprinkle of sea salt
Served on a smear of pepper jelly and fresh apple slices, this simple combo would be an excellent first course for any meal. The creamy sweet potato texture is well contrasted from the crisp apple and the sweet-spicy jelly with just a hint of salt on the crispy skin.
Highly Recommend Growing and Eating them all!
Overall, the Treasure Island series of sweet potatoes are winners in the garden and in the kitchen. Each variety is beautiful and delicious! Plan to add these to your must grow AND eat list of 2021.
