Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries

Throughout my childhood sweet potatoes meant one thing: Iowan Grandma's marshmallow casserole. This horror used to loom at me from across the dinner table every Thanksgiving, literally inducing my gag reflex. Buried under pounds of gooey marshmallows, lumps of this misunderstood vegetable flopped around in butter and brown sugar. Not that this wouldn't have satisfied even the most demanding sweet tooth, and no offense to Grandma, but...Yuck. And for years I couldn't care less whether it was a sweet potato or a yam, I was prepared to hate them both, and hate I did. That is, until recently. Things changed when I discovered the absolute bliss of roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary (and obscene amounts of garlic). It goes without saying that marshmallow casserole from Iowa got its sweet little butt kicked when I figured this out. These fries make an excellent side dish, or middle of the night snack, and as long as you stay light on the oil and salt they're really very healthy. Did I mention they also smell heavenly?

Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries
2 medium size Sweet Potatoes
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Dried Rosemary
2 Tb. Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Cut potatoes into french-fry sized strips and place them on a baking pan.
3. Stir in garlic, rosemary and olive oil until all the seasonings are evenly distributed.
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning the fries after 15 minutes.
6. Enjoy!