Sweet Potato Latkes and Pickles?

These are the best sweet potato latkes I've made, this year, for the first night of Hanukkah, and my camera went "blank" on me...the screen, just totally gave out. My nine year old granddaughter, (bless her little heart) stepped right in, to take the first shot...and that's the only photo I have of this, while still frying in the cast iron skillet, she took such a nice pic. I finally got my new camera-Canon SX130 IS, which I will be taking my photos of my foods. Gabriella did not waste any time, checking out my camera, while I was still reading the instruction book, she already took such amazing photos of the Christmas tree, and her little brother, and figured out the video. Fort the sweet potato latkes, the real secret to it, as far as I'm concerned, the best way to make it crisp, and not come out soggy, you have to add a couple of Idaho potatoes to it, and make sure, you use matzo meal, instead of flour.

I have been wanting to make my homemade pickles for quite a while now, but not been able to, because I could not find the small cucumbers for pickles. I really like the Kirby brand, but cannot  find them anywhere. While at Costco's, I found a bag of these cute gourmet mini cukes and got all excited, about jarring them...and the jar?...yeahh..."thrift find" a quart size  light blue mason jar, 2 of them, from Goodwill, for $.99. each.
All you have to do is to sterilize the jar in the dishwasher, just run it through a regular wash with the other dishes, prepare the brine= vinegar and water, and pack them tightly in the jar with the boiled water/vinegar, and the herbs. I will post the recipe for the latkes, and the pickles. I also have a Tagging to pass to 15 bloggers., with 7 questions...tthanks to my sweet friend Jo, from Chic & Gorgeous, who passed the tagging to me, last week. So, I'm posting the recipes, and also the tagging.
Sweet Potato Latkes


2 Idaho, or any kind of white potatoes
4 medium sweet potatoes
1 medium onion chopped
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 eggs
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of matzo meal


First peel and  cut onion into large chunks, peel the rosemary sprig. In food processor, chop the onion with the rosemary, and empty the food processor container, put the onion mixture into a large bowl. Change the chopper to a grating disk, cut the potatoes into chunks to pass through the chute, to grate, or grate the peeled potatoes on a hand grater.
Have a large bowl of water ready, as soon as you grate the potatoes, put the grated potatoes in the bowl of water, so they don't turn color. Squeeze as much water from the potatoes, and place them into the bowl with the onion mixture, and add the matzo meal on top of the potatoes, along with the 2 whole eggs,

By this time, have the vegetable oil ready, in a large heavy skillet, have the oven set on 350 degrees, along with a aluminum lined baking pan. Also have a large platter ready, when the latkes come out of the oven. Mix the potato mixture with the matzo meal, eggs, salt and pepper...work quickly, to form about 3 inch patties with with a 1/4 measuring scoop, and drop them directly into the hot oil. Do not touch them for about 1 minute, let them fry a little (this way they don't fall apart, when you flip them) With a metal spatula, flip them over, and pat it down, to make nice thin crispy and flaky pancakes.

Fry them a few minutes more, until they are lightly fried. Next step-place all the latkes on the baking sheet, and bake them in the oven, for about 25 minutes, flipping them over after about 10 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, put them carefully on a paper towel lined platter, and stack them up making sure lining them with more paper in between them. They are ready to serve at this time, and you can still heat them a little if they get cold. Serve with dollops of sour cream and apple sauce.
Serves 12 latkes

Homemade Dill Pickles

Small pickling cucumbers (about 1 dozen)
4 cups water
1 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon black peppercorn
dash of kosher salt
1 bayleaf
2 whole garlic cloves
1 small bunch fresh dill

1 GET ALL OF THIS GOING BEFORE FILLING THE JARS.

2 Wash your mason quart jars in hot, soapy water (or dishwasher), rinse and fill with hot water; set aside.

3 Fill a large pot half-full with hottest tap water; set on burner over high heat.

4 In a medium saucepan, fit lids and rings together, cover with water, bring to a simmer.

5 In a large saucepan, bring water, vinegar and salt to boil; turn off the heat; set aside.

 6 FILL JARS: ( I used 2, 1 quart size jars) place a layer of dill at the bottom of each jar, along with one garlic clove (if used), the peppercorn, and the bay leaf, sprinkle som kosher salt... then TIGHTLY load the cukes into the jar to the NECK of the jar (depending on size you may get two nice layers with a few small cukes in the top--)---squeeze cukes into the jar tightly--uniform size helps; add a few TINY spriglets of dill at the top, too, and another garlic clove if desired.

7 Once jars are loaded, pour in the brine leaving half-inch head space in each jar.

8 Add lid and ring to each jar, tightening evenly.

9 Place jars into pot with water JUST to the necks of the jars.

10 Bring water ALMOST to a boil (about 15 minutes--depending on how fast it heats up).

11 Remove jars, set on a dish towel on the kitchen counter, cover with another dish towel & let cool.

12. Check for seal (indented lid), label jars or lids, store in the refrigerator. Will keep fresh and crunchy for up to 3 months-if it lasts that long.