Sweet Potato and Bacon in Endive

Ingredients

5-6 slices bacon, thinly sliced crosswise

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes

Salt and pepper

4 tbs. thinly sliced fresh chives

3 California endive, cut across into ½” pieces

½ cup crème fraiche

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon over medium heat until it has rendered some of its fat, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the sweet potato and salt & pepper. Cook, stirring, until the sweet potato is tender and the bacon starts to crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 3 tbs. of the chives and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Slice the bottom ½ of the three endives and separate the leaves. (This should render about 30-36 leaves.)
4. Set the endive leaves on a platter. Spoon the sweet potato and bacon mixture onto the bottom half of each leaf. Top each with a dollop of crème fraiche and sprinkle with remaining chives.

Wine Suggestion: Spicy Zinfandel (i.e. Yorba ’08 Zinfandel)