Blue Cayenne

Ube, aka purple yam, is a tuber native to the Philippines. It is closely related to the sweet potato.

Starchy and sweet, the purple yam is widely used in desserts in the Philippines and elsewhere in Asia, but it can also be served as a savory side larded with butter. 

These bright purple-fleshed yams are good for you, too. They are high in fiber and antioxidents. 

I’ve seen the yams (actually ube powder) used to color breads and cookies and Trader Joe’s, always ahead of the curve,  in now carrying ube ice cream. Obviously, I was intrigued.

So, I decided to try making some purple ice cream. I used the Easy Vanilla Ice Cream recipe previously posted here  (see link below)and added 2 cups of boiled purple yams. I put some of the half and half called for in thge ice cream recipe in my blender with the cooked yams and blitzed it until it was smooth. I then proceeded with the ice cream following the usual directions. The ice cream is beautiful. The flavor is subtle. There is a bit of texture in this ice cream which I enjoyed but I may try putting the batter through a sieve next time to get it a bit smoother. 

If you have a sense of adventure, you will want to try this recipe. 

Here is a link to the ice cream recipe I used as the base: Vanilla Ice Cream. This recipe is adapted from a New York Times recipe.

Tuesday is my day. 

That’s the day when I sort out my refrigerator vegetable bins. Often, that means a hearty and ever-changing soup for me. That’s good news. I love soup, particularly during these early Autumn days with just the beginning of a chill in the air.

Making my “whatever’s in the refrigerator” soup always reminds me of a long-ago school experience. I was on a district-wide school committee. There was a representative from every school–elementary, middle and high school. There was always a moment to share any school specific events. On this occasion, an elementary teacher shared that her school was having a “Soup Day.”  Any student could bring a can of soup. Whether the kid brought clam chowder or cream of asparagus, all the soups were mixed together and each student could enjoy a bowl of soup. I’ve always kind of shuddered at my mind’s image of all those random soups mixed together. It may have ruined those kids on soup forever!

So, your possibilities are endless with this soup. Feel free to make it your own. Hate celery? Add carrots. Got chard and not spinach? Go for it. Even a little pesto on top would be wonderful.

Here is a basic frame of a recipe just waiting for your personal touch. 

Enjoy that clean refrigerator, too. 

Every month Blue Cayenne features one post from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. Here is a great Lentil and Bean Stew With Gremolata recipe.

You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again.

Want to dive deeper into our recipe archive? Just click one of the categories at the top of this page or use the category search drop down menu on the right side of this page.

And…here is a link to Blue Cayenne’s main page: Blue Cayenne. If you are in the mood to cook (or eat!), we hope you will take a moment to look at the many excellent recipes we have to offer.