Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

There was something magical about summer time meals when I was a kid, especially Mom's cold suppers. They would most often include her delicious potato salad, crispy yum-yum pickles, sliced baked ham, devilled eggs dusted with paprika, and soft white dinner rolls. Mom would also slice a couple of juicy, ripe tomatoes and cucumbers, and arrange them artfully on a pretty plate. I still have the now-thread-bare red & white gingham tablecloth that she would spread out for cold suppers. She truly defined the artful elegance of simplicity.

Though not a family recipe, this Roasted Sweet Potato salad is an homage to Mom's cold summer suppers. I think this one is appropriate for these golden-tinged end of summer afternoons that bathe my kitchen in a warm orange glow around dinner time. I love the burnished colour and caramelized flavour of the roasted bits of sweet potato in this salad. It's even better the next day, so try to save some to pack for your lunch.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
(Adapted from The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman)

Vinaigrette:
1 tbsp. chopped ginger
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. lime juice
3 tbsp. vegetable oil (not olive)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. granulated sugar
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
1 red pepper (or 1/2 red and 1/2 orange or yellow), cut in 1/2 inch pieces
4 green onions, sliced diagonally
1/4 c. fresh cilantro or basil, chopped

For vinaigrette, chop ginger and garlic in blender or mini food processor. Add lime juice, oils, soy sauce and sugar. Blend well, adding salt and pepper to taste at the end. Set aside.

For salad, toss sweet potatoes, oil, salt and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast in a preheated 500F oven for 15 minutes, shaking the pan now and then to prevent sticking.

Transfer sweet potatoes to a large bowl, adding peppers, onions and fresh herbs. Pour vinaigrette over top and toss gently. Cool to room temperature and serve, or refrigerate.

Makes 4-6 servings.

To Serve:
Enjoy this colourful and healthy salad as part of a cold supper, or pack it in a container and take it to work for lunch. At lunch time, take out a beautiful tea towel and spread it over your desk or your lap, open your container and take out a fork that you've brought from home (no plastic forks for this special salad). Savour each bite of this nutritious meal, whilst being the envy of your colleagues. Pour a frosty glass of water, squeeze in a little fresh lime and sip it with your salad. Take your time returning to work, with your tummy satisfied and your soul nourished.