Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash

Valentine's Day is next week and I am making Earl's dinner again. Same menu — fried catfish, hush puppies, coleslaw, lemon meringue pie. Same good plates. Same candles. The tradition doesn't change because the tradition is the point. Every February 14th for forty-two years, pink carnations and fried catfish and a man who looks at me across the table like I'm the best thing he ever found. The day you stop making the effort is the day you stop deserving the reward.

But first, this week. At school, the Local Fresh Initiative is winning. The district data shows that food waste is down fifteen percent at Hodge Elementary compared to the other schools. Fifteen percent. That's sixty-five pounds of food that went into children instead of into garbage. I presented these numbers at the advisory committee meeting on Tuesday, and I didn't use a PowerPoint because I don't know how to use a PowerPoint, and I don't need one. I stood up and I said, "Sixty-five pounds. That's sixty-five pounds of food that children ate because it was real and fresh and cooked by someone who cared. You want to improve school nutrition? Stop buying fake food and start buying real food. It's not complicated. A child can taste the difference. Trust them." There was silence. Then someone clapped. Then more people clapped. I sat down and Maya from Garrison leaned over and whispered, "Mrs. Henderson, you're my hero." I whispered back, "Maya, start at five. The sweet potatoes are worth it." She nodded. I think she means it.

The February garden is sleeping but the windowsill is alive. The seedlings have their second set of true leaves and they're reaching for the light like little green hands. I turn them every other day so they don't lean. Leaning seedlings become crooked plants, and crooked plants don't produce as well, and this gardening metaphor is also a life metaphor but I'm not going to push it because I'm a cook, not a philosopher.

I made red beans and rice on Monday. Kidney beans soaked overnight, cooked with andouille sausage and the holy trinity and garlic and thyme, served over white rice. This is Monday food in Louisiana and it's become Monday food in my house because some traditions are so good they deserve to be adopted. Earl says red beans and rice on Monday is "our thing now." I said, "Earl, our thing has always been whatever I put on the table." He said, "Then put red beans on Monday." I do. I will.

Now go on and feed somebody.

I told Maya to start at five in the morning because the sweet potatoes are worth it — and I meant every word. After standing up in that advisory committee meeting and saying out loud what I’ve believed for thirty years, I wanted to come home and cook something that proved the point. This sweet potato cauliflower mash is exactly that: real ingredients, nothing fake, nothing complicated, and a flavor that a child — or a husband, or a tired school nutrition coordinator — can taste the difference in. It belongs on a Monday table right alongside the red beans, and it will.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small head cauliflower (about 1 lb), cut into florets
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream, warmed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Fresh chives or parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Boil the vegetables. Place the sweet potato cubes in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat. After 5 minutes, add the cauliflower florets. Continue cooking for another 12–15 minutes, until both the sweet potatoes and cauliflower are completely fork-tender.
Drain well. Drain the vegetables in a colander and let them steam-dry for 2–3 minutes. This removes excess moisture and keeps your mash from turning watery.
Mash and season. Return the drained vegetables to the warm pot. Add the butter and mash with a potato masher or hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Pour in the warmed milk a little at a time, mixing until you reach your desired consistency.
Add the flavor. Stir in the garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you want it a little richer, add another pat of butter — no apologies.
Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh chives or parsley if you like. Serve hot alongside your main dish. This holds well covered on the stovetop for up to 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Mash — The Real Food Dorothy Swears By on a Monday