THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 21, 1995 TAG: 9509200027
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Morsels
SOURCE: Ruth Fantasia
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
SWEET POTATOES are my salvation.
Every year in late September I develop gastronomic grief. I mourn the passing of red, ripe tomatoes. I lament the lackluster taste of the last watermelon. And I deplore the mealy texture of frozen corn.
It's too late to savor summer's sweetness and too soon for autumn's bounty.
But, sweet potatoes have arrived. Through November, Virginia farmers will harvest several varieties of the spuds, just as they have for more than three centuries.
According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture, sweet potatoes were grown in the commonwealth as early as 1648, about 40 years after the establishment of Jamestown. By the late 1700s, sweet potatoes had become a staple in the Colonies.
At one time, more than 36,000 acres of sweet potatoes were grown in Virginia, says J. William Mapp, regional market development manager for the Department of Agriculture in Olney. Today, there are less than 1,000 acres, mostly on the Eastern Shore.
Those folks across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel know sweet potatoes. Each October at the Eastern Shore Harvest Festival they serve up hundreds of sweet-potato pies and sweet-potato biscuits filled with paper-thin slices of Smithfield ham.
A baked sweet potato slathered with butter is so good it should be dessert instead of vegetable. But if you want to do something more challenging, here are a few Eastern Shore recipes.
Grocery help
Hampton Roads' grocery stores have supported people in need before. There was the Scouting for Food campaign by Farm Fresh, for instance. And Foodbank fund-raisers in which coupons added dollars at the cash register.
Now, several stores in Virginia Beach are responding again, even though the people in need aren't hungry.
Students at the fire-damaged Princess Anne High School are benefiting from two campaigns to rebuild.
At the Farmer Jack store at the corner of Newtown and Baker roads, you can tell the cashier to ``round up'' your bill. The cashier will round your bill to the nearest even dollar and the spare change will go to the Princess Anne High School Recovery Fund.
In the first four days on the program, Farmer Jack raised about $1,100, says Chuck Kelley, store manager. The program will continue through Thanksgiving, or as long as customers are giving, Kelley says.
Stores operated by Farm Fresh are lending a hand, too.
Through December, the company will donate to the fund 2 percent of grocery purchases made by shoppers with a Farm Fresh Gold Card. Just fill out a form with your Gold Card number the next time you shop.
Rack & Sack shoppers can save their cash register tapes and redeem the tapes for a 2 percent donation to the school. Turn in the receipts weekly with a form.
Some companies that supply Farm Fresh are donating proceeds from their sales also. By purchasing products from Mary Jane Bakery, Nabisco, Coca-Cola, Sunbeam Bread and Frito-Lay you help more.
Jim Jansen, Farm Fresh director of marketing, says the program will raise at least a five-digit figure for the school.
Participating stores include Farm Fresh at Giant Square Shopping Center on Independence Boulevard; Princess Anne and Baxter roads; Chimney Hill Shopping Center on Holland Road; Lynnhaven Parkway at Lynnhaven Mall; and Virginia Beach Boulevard at South Lynnhaven Road. Also, the Rack & Sack at Collins Square Shopping Center on Virginia Beach Boulevard. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Virginia Department of Agriculture
by CNB