I don’t know about you, but when the air and leaves turn crisp in October, I suddenly feel like cooking. Soups, breads, pies, casseroles, fruit crisps… every beautiful Fall flavor! Last year I inadvertently started a tradition with my kids that they call “Fall Feast”. On one gorgeous Saturday I was trying out recipes for Thanksgiving, and I made meatloaf, corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, and apple crisp. My son asked what the occasion was, and I told him “I guess we’re just having a fall feast!” Little did I know it would stick! Ever since the weather turned a few weeks ago, my children have been asking me when we’re going to have Fall Feast.

Double Surprises

This past weekend we had a surprise snowstorm – 3.5 inches in mid-October! I don’t ever remember it snowing this early, especially so much. I didn’t really believe the forecast, but the night before snow was predicted I got a freeze alert on my phone. Grabbing my garden bucket, I headed out to the garden to see what I could salvage in the dark. I managed to bring in four tomatoes, a tiny watermelon, and a massive surprise – tons and tons of sweet potatoes!!

This was my first year trying to grow the orange root veggie I love, and I didn’t expect to have much success. The plant flourished though, growing to massive proportions. Did you know that a sweet potato plant grows as a vine? I had no idea! I watched it with wonder all summer, amazed that it was so happy here in my small garden. I coaxed the long arms of the plant around a huge tomato cage, creating a swirling sweet potato tornado. Each vine grew 15-20 feet long! I could see a few thin sweet potato roots sticking up from the ground underneath, and was pleased that I had had some small measure of success. But when I stuck my hand into the cool dirt that evening, I was in for another surprise. I wrapped my hand around a huge tube… and then another, and another! It was a Fall Feast Miracle! (I’m sure that’s a thing.)

Sweet Potato Casserole

So today, with the kids begging for Fall Feast, the chill in the air, snow on the ground, and a bucket’s worth of sweet potatoes on my counter, I decided it was time. Now I’m normally not a big fan of cooking. I love to bake; you just stir the ingredients together, throw it in the oven, and in an hour you have something delicious that lasts for days! But cooking requires dedication. You have to thaw meat, stay at the stove and babysit the food, coordinate finishing times of each component, and try not to get burned. (I have an irrational fear of being burned, especially by oil. Needless to say, I don’t fry anything. Ever.) All that for a meal that’s gone in twenty minutes!

Ahem. As I was saying… I decided to make a mini version of the “Fall Feast” with those big beautiful sweet potatoes from my garden. The Sweet Potato Casserole recipe I tried last year would be perfect. I put a roast and some small onions, also from my garden, into the Instant Pot. (Seriously if you don’t have one yet you are missing out! It’s like the baking version of cooking – throw stuff in and walk away.) Then I cooked the sweet potatoes. Okay, let’s be fully honest here… I microwaved the potatoes while I helped the kids with their school. I will probably get Microwave Cancer someday, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Back to the Land

As I scooped the bright orange flesh from the sweet potato skins, a peace settled over me. All I could think was… did my ancestors feel this way? Did they feel the joy that I feel now, the pride in having grown my own food? I had started with just a small plant from the nursery. Months later here I was, pounds of sweet potatoes on my counter, ready to nourish my family. Did my great-great-grandparents eat sweet potatoes in West Virginia and feel a connection to their land? Or was it just such a natural thing to them, food grown by their own two hands, that they never gave it a thought?

We buy almost everything we need from a big store now, and don’t for a second consider where it came from. Where was the cotton grown for the thread to make this shirt? In what soil in which state was this carrot pulled from? How many miles on a diesel-guzzling truck did this watermelon travel to get to me? I don’t say this as a judgment or really even an environmental consideration, just a personal one. We’ve lost our connection to the land. We’ve lost the pleasure of bringing forth our own food, of providing for our own needs. We’ve lost the joy of working hand in hand with God to grow things. It’s so simple, yet so profound.

The Pleasure of the Lord

Eric Liddell was a Scottish missionary to China. He was also an Olympian, a runner with incredible speed. A movie was made about him called ‘Chariots of Fire’. In that movie Eric says, “I believe that God made me for a purpose, for China. But He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” In Jennie Allen’s book ‘Restless’, she writes:

“Some of us are hung up on looking for super spiritual gifts like prophecy or healing. But what if you are just fast? What if you are a great musician? What if you excel at accounting? What if you feel God’s pleasure as you design buildings or format PTA calendars? When do you feel God’s pleasure?”

That quote and question have stayed with me since I read them two years ago. I’m happy to say that I’m noticing more often now when I feel God’s pleasure. When spending time out in nature; in planning our next month’s school work; while peeling and cooking a sweet potato that I grew in my garden.

When I plant tiny seeds of hope in fresh soil, or water new sprouts, I think of 1 Corinthians 3:7: “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” I feel that I’m working directly with God to make new life here on earth. It’s very similar to the awe you feel during pregnancy, knowing that you’re taking part in a miracle! Very simply, gardening helps me to feel the pleasure of the Lord.

The Recipe

Of course, I feel the pleasure of the Lord when eating Sweet Potato Casserole, too! Not to toot my own horn, but the casserole was fantastic. Three out of four kids asked for seconds. I took some to my parents and grandma down the street, knowing they would appreciate it too. The satisfaction on their faces when they took a bite gave me joy all over again! I would be remiss if I talked about how amazing it was but didn’t share the recipe with you here. I can’t take credit for it; the original recipe came from All Recipes and can be found here. I’ve tweaked it very slightly, lowering the sugar and, you know, microwaving the potatoes. 😉

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

• 4-6 large sweet potatoes, baked
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbl butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves in your preferred amount (I did about a teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and just a dash of cloves)

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3 tbl butter

Preheat oven to 350º. Scrub sweet potatoes and puncture with a fork. Microwave 15-20 minutes, until fork-tender. Cut potatoes in half and, using a spoon, scoop the flesh from the skins into a large bowl. Add white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, spices, milk, and vanilla to the potatoes. Whip together with an electric mixer. Place mixture in an ungreased 13×9 casserole dish. In a separate small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, and pecans. Cut in butter until pea-sized pieces remain. Sprinkle mixture over potatoes. Bake 30 minutes, or until sugar caramelizes and the topping is lightly browned.

I hope that you find yourself experiencing the pleasure of the Lord this week, in big ways and small.