Sublime Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato and Radish Salad

Randy and I absolutely love this little salad.

I had 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, a couple of radishes, and a dainty shallot wedge in the fridge.  The cool, misty weather called for something warming and roasted this morning.  The combination of this, a complete improvisation, is eat-all-of-it-now delicious.  

Crazy Daisy Love!

Ooh, and I used my beloved Crazy Daisy 1 quart Corning Ware.  Mad collector of this line

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Radish Salad

2 medium sweet potatoes

2 large radishes

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1 tablespoon chopped pistachios

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey mustard

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

sea salt to taste

cracked pepper to taste

a dusting of cayenne pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 425.

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes.  Place in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, some sea salt, cracked pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Gently mix.  Place the sweet potato mixture on a small baking pan and roast for about 30 minutes.  I kept a careful eye on this, wanting the sweet potato to get to a carmelization point without completely burning.  The extra effort is worth it, as the sweet potato at this browning point reaches a gloriously intense flavor stage.  

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, slice the radishes very thinly.  I have every kitchen gadget in the world, yet I still prefer to chop, mince, slice, mix, fold, and knead by hand.  Soothing.  Contemplative.  Also mince the shallots and chop the pistachios.  You can add whole pistachio pieces, as well.  I think they would be terrific.  Hazelnuts (cobnuts for my British friends!) in place of pistachios would also work.  Had I been able to get myself out our back door to my herb garden, I would have sprinkled some freshly chopped chives into this, as well.  Our herb garden is so healthy.  Basil, rosemary, parsley, tarragon (true tarragon!), chives, oregano, and English mint all growing madly.  

In your favorite salad dressing bowl, mix the honey mustard and lemon juice.  Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and place in a 1 quart mixing bowl. Add the radishes, shallots and pistachios, fold in the salad dressing and it is ready to eat.    

Final note: 

I think French Breakfast Radishes, with their extra kick, would be quite tasty in this salad, as well.