Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Tahini Crème Fraîche

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a medium pot fitted with a steamer basket or footed colander. Place sweet potatoes in the steamer. Cover, reduce heat to medium and steam until potatoes are completely tender, 35 to 40 minutes. (Use a skewer or paring knife to check for doneness; the potatoes should be soft all the way through.)

Meanwhile, into a medium bowl, finely grate 1 teaspoon zest and squeeze 1 teaspoon juice from the lemon. Whisk in the crème fraîche, tahini, maple syrup and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more lemon juice, if desired.

To serve, slit the tops of the potatoes if they are whole, then lightly rake the flesh with a fork, drizzle with the sauce, and sprinkle with pepper.