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Fall, Week 5: October 14th & 17th, 2026

The Worm's Voice: Red Wiggler's CSA Newsletter

SWEET POTATOES vs. YAMS: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

I grew up eating a lot of sweet potatoes. But I didn’t know they were sweet potatoes until I started working at a farmers market in my 20s. My mom always called them yams, so I called them yams. Much to my annoyance, she STILL calls them yams, even after years of my reeducation attempts (I think she does it mostly to push my buttons at this point). But, to her credit, the confusion is valid–sweet potatoes are mislabeled everywhere! In honor of this week’s sweet potato CSA debut, let’s take a closer look at the differences. 

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) belong to the morning glory family (look closely at this sweet potato flower and you’ll see the resemblance!). They’re native to the tropical Americas, where people have grown them for thousands of years, and the part we eat is a storage root. True yams (Dioscorea species) are monocots, which makes them closer relatives of grasses and lilies than of sweet potatoes. They’re native to Africa and Asia, and the part people eat is a tuber with rough, bark-like skin that can grow several feet (!!!) long and weigh up to 100 pounds (again, !!!).

So what do they have in common? Starchy underground food storage? Check. Tropical vining plant? Check. Feeding people for millennia? Check. But that’s about where the similarities end.

Culinarily, sweet potatoes are moist and sweet–perfect for roasting, mashing, fries, and of course, pie. Yams are drier, starchier, and milder in flavor. They’re a staple across Asia, the Caribbean, and West Africa, where they’re boiled, fried, or pounded into fufu. One important note: yams should always be cooked, since some contain compounds that are toxic when raw.

So why the mix-up here in the US? Enslaved West Africans saw a resemblance to the yams of home and called sweet potatoes by a similar name. Then in the 1930s, Louisiana growers started marketing their new, soft, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes as “yams” to set them apart from firmer, paler varieties. The name stuck so well that the USDA requires anything labeled “yam” to also say “sweet potato.” Odds are, unless you regularly shop at Asian, Caribbean or African markets, you’ve never actually bought a yam at a US supermarket!

No yam confusion at Red Wiggler CSA! We only grow sweet potatoes. Conditions in Maryland, not to mention most of the US, are not right to grow yams. They need a lot of heat, a lot of sun, and a lot of water. But Montgomery County does have a wide diversity of international grocery stores. Get your sweet potatoes from the farm, then find a true yam, and report back to us with your own take on their differences!

  • Sweet Potatoes!
  • Roots Choices
  • End-of-Summer Choices
  • Leeks
  • Napa Cabbage

PICK-YOUR-OWN AVAILABILITY

Look for the BLUE flags on items ready to pick!

RED

Lovage, Oregano, Chives, Lavender, Russian Sage, Thyme, Blanket Flowers, Zinnias, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tarragon, Tithonia

ORANGE

Lamb’s Ear, Sorrel, Pincushions, Snapdragons, Sunflowers, Statice, Italian Basil, Lemon Basil, Thai Basil, Tulsi Basil

PINK

Zinnias, Cosmos, Strawflowers, Marigolds, Gomphrena, Sunflowers, Dill, Cilantro, Celosia

YELLOW 

Calendula, Lemon Balm, Sage, Zininias, Tithonia

PURPLE

Heliopsis, Anise Hyssop, Fennel, Coreopsis, Rudbeckia

Need help or ideas? Just ask a RWCF Staff member or volunteer. We’re here for you!

VEG – Vegetarian     DF – Dairy Free     GF – Gluten Free

SWEET POTATO SOUP   GF   DF   Veg

I’m so excited for sweet potato season! My mom is sensitive to nightshades (I know, tragic, right?!?), so we ate a lot of sweet potatoes when I was a kid. They are one of my favorite comfort veggies, and I love them in all their forms. There are lots of recipes out there for sweet potato soup, but this one from Downshiftology  rose above the rest for how creamy and rich it is, despite being totally dairy-free. Serves 2 as a light main course or 4 as a starter or side. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 4 cups vegetable broth, or more for thinner consistency
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DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and carrots and stir frequently for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the carrots have softened slightly.
  2. Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and paprika. Stir for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
  3. Add the diced sweet potato and vegetable broth. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, add the lid, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is fork-tender.
  4. Blend. Use a ladle to transfer the soup ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend on high for one minute or until creamy. You can add more broth or water for a thinner consistency.
  5. Pour into a bowl and garnish with coconut cream or yogurt and chopped herbs to serve.

BRAISED LEEKS   GF   Veg  DF (with slight modification)

I first tasted leeks when I nannied for a French family after college. They ate leeks regularly, which was not the case in my childhood home. It took me a few tries to learn to clean* and cook them well, but I finally figured it out. Braised leeks was one thing I often cooked for them. They are very traditional (and delicious!), but the addition of the parmesan cheese and the quick broil in this NYT recipe modernizes them and gives them a little more texture. Serves 4 as a side.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb leeks
  • 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil (or 2 tbsp olive oil to avoid dairy)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc
  • 1 ½ ounces Parmesan, freshly grated (⅓ cup)

* Cleaning leeks can be tricky and annoying. Check out this newsletter from 2024 for a good how-to.

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DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut the ends and the dark green leaves off* of the leeks, and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then run under the faucet to remove any sand that may be lingering in between the layers. Peel off thick outer layers, if any. 
  2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet that will accommodate all of the leeks in one layer. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, and cook, shaking the pan and moving them around with tongs, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the leeks over and cook on the other side until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks back over so that the cut side is down. Peel off the outer layers if they are papery, as they will not soften when the leeks are braised. Pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then add enough water or stock to come just to the top of the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the leeks are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
  3. Transfer the leeks to an oiled ovenproof pan if your skillet cannot go under the broiler. Using tongs, turn the leeks so that the flat side is up. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, pour it off into a smaller saucepan. Heat the reserved liquid and add a pat of butter. Reduce by 1/3 to 1/2, then pour back over leeks.
  4. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the leeks. Place under the hot broiler until the cheese has melted and is beginning to color. Remove from the heat and serve.

* If you make soups or stocks save the tops and outer layers of your leeks! They make a wonderful addition. Clean well, then chop coarsely for use in stocks, or chop finely and sauté first to use in soups.