Rutabaga chips and shoestring sweet potatoes

Piece of chocolate, banana and a cup of coffee. Those are the first things I'll reach for when the eat-local challenge ends in nine days. But I think we'll continue our new buying habits and look for good local meats and vegetables.

My wife loves getting fresh rutabagas and sweet potatoes at the farmer's markets. I'm not thrilled about eating them boiled, and found a new way to eat them.

At a neighbors' bonfire this weekend, Bob and Margaret Sobieck of Hobart suggested we prepare them like french fries. Instead of deep frying, bake them in the oven drizzled in a little olive oil and salt.
We tried it last night. They were excellent, and had lots of flavor. We cut some thin like potato chips, but what seemed to work best was cutting them like shoestring potatoes.

Tonight we had family over to share a fresh local turkey, buttered squash, cranberry sauce and potatoes. It was a pre-Thanksgiving bash.