Tubers and other Fall Bounty

Last weekend I decided it was time to unearth the sweet potatoes that have been diligently growing all summer long. Sweet potatoes are those amazing Vitamin A filled vegetables that add a greatness to many things. I've also learned this summer that the sweet potato leaves are also a very great green to eat. I actually haven't eaten any, but I did go ahead and blanch some with my swiss chard to put into the freezer for soup. 

I only planted four sweet potato starts and this was the mass of running leaves and vines.

Step 1: Push back the greenery.

These grew so funky and they were pushing up through the soil.
Exhibit 2: the collection of really odd shaped tubers.

Some of them had vein like appearances on them. Some had canyons and creases. Some of them looked like they had possibly cracked?

I do not know the reason for the funky potatoes I grew. Guess that learning moment will have to come later. But nonetheless some really great giant tubers for my dining delight. Presently, they are in the basement completing their necessary 5-10 day curing process. According to my online sources this is necessary for the tubers to heal from any wounds gained in digging and also to allow the starches to convert to sugars and make a tastier product. They're supposed to cure in a humid hot (85 degree) environment and I figured since the basement made my other potatoes start sprouting in a couple of weeks, it's probably warm and humid enough for a curing process. 

I am also still diligently picking peppers and tomatoes. I think the tomatoes are definitely in the dying stage, but my pepper plants are loaded. I'm just hoping that all those green bell peppers will ripen to amazing red sweet peppers before the frost kill them off. We have loads of purple peppers which were a great new pepper for me, however, they taste like a very strong green pepper, kinda bitter, definitely not sweet. Not my favorite, but we'll go ahead and delight in my Wildcat Peppers! Oh and eggplant too!