Keeping It Local

Sweet potatoes are a Southern favorite, and here in North Carolina, especially so, since it’s our state vegetable. Not only are sweet potatoes considered to be a superfood due to their high levels of vitamins and minerals, but they’re also a comforting dish in many different cultures, which means that it’s a great addition to a wintertime meal with loved ones. 

Downtown Asheville restaurant HomeGrown’s sweet potato soufflé makes for a tasty winter side dish that warms up more than just your stomach. Madison County native Miki Loomis owned and operated a catering business before founding HomeGrown in 2010. The restaurant celebrated its 13th birthday in October, a feat that Loomis and executive chef Dane Cruz attribute to the support of the community.  HomeGrown is all about local heritage and, “sustainable farming, and utilizing our land,” says Loomis. “We cook what we can with the food that we have, the same way that people have forever.”

Cruz says that the key for a good sweet potato soufflé is using potatoes that are grown here in WNC. “I think everybody in the world has had some sort of sweet potato dish in their culture and in their life, it's a comforting dish for them,” he says. Try Cruz’s recipe this season for a great side dish for gatherings with friends and family.

Get the Sweet Potato Soufflé recipe HERE

Homegrown
371 Merrimon Ave., Asheville
Wednesday-Monday 8 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Tuesday
(828) 232-4340 slowfoodrightquick.com