I never met a sweet potato I didn't like
Summertime, when the living is easy and the cooking is hot. Too hot. Which makes the cooking not so easy. With the temperature close to 90 degrees, turning on the oven or the gas range, even for a little while, makes the kitchen pretty much unbearable. So I've been scouting out recipes for the handy-dandy slow-cookin' Crock Pot, poring over Judith Finlayson's Delicious and Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes. As it turns out, the first recipe we tried was a big winner. Simple, tasty, and I suspect, even healthy. Definitely will be worth repeat showings.



SANTA FE SWEET POTATO SOUP

Soak 2 dried New Mexico chili peppers in boiling water for half an hour. Drain, discarding the water and the stems. Pat dry and chop up.

Heat 1 T. of oil over medium heat. Add 2 finely chopped onions and cook until softened. Add 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 chopped jalapeno pepper, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of dried oregano, and the New Mexico chilis. Cook for 1 minute and dump it all into the slow cooker, along with 4 cups of peeled and cubed sweet potatoes and 6 cups of chicken broth.

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until sweet potatoes are tender. Puree the soup with your ever-useful immersion blender. Add 2 cups of frozen corn kernels and the zest and juice of one lime. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes. In the meantime, have a frosty root beer and sit in another room under a ceiling fan (optional).

When ready to serve, garnish with strips of roasted red peppers and chopped cilantro, and crumble in cold corn muffins.