Sweet Potato and Parsley Salad

This is the perfect recipe for someone who doesn't like sweet sweet potato dishes and for someone who loves sweet potatoes.  How does that make any sense?  I imagine it's because this isn't a sort of candied dish, rather the sweetness of the sweet potatoes are balanced, swirled and mingled with flavors that are otherwise sour and pungent on their own.

Cooking with Herbs

The recipe comes from an old cookbook from Granny (my mom's mom) and if you can find a copy (for cheap) I highly recommend this book.  Once I started an herb garden I found this book to be extremely useful because the book chapters are by herb, making it so simple to find a recipe according to which herb/herbs you are have in abundance or are in the mood to taste!

This recipe isn't mine at all!  I'm just sharing it from the text, especially since this book doesn't seem to be real popular.  It looks like it sells for pretty cheap!

Hoping you and yours enjoy this tasty dish as much as we do!

Note: For all you foodies, Carolyn Dille worked at The Cafe Chez Panisse. The recipes are as good as Alice Waters'. In addition, I'm reading An Everlasting Meal. And oh me oh my. Please read it. Such a fantastic cook book.

SWEET POTATO AND PARSLEY SALAD

COOKING WITH HERBS

BY: SUSAN BELSINGER AND CAROLYN DILLE

INGREDIENTS:

6 cooked sweet potatoes

1 small onion 

1 medium celery rib (or omit if  you rather/don't have)

1/3 cup olive oil

lemon juice to taste

soy sauce (always omit this)

1/2 cup coursely chopped parsley*

4-5 sprigs marjoram or 1 tsp dried (may substitute with oregano - I have a bush of it, please take as much as you'd like!)

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

garnish with roasted nuts (I usually omit out of lack of availability but I imagine it would be tasty)

*parsley note: Alice Waters (and Whole 30) taught me the huge difference of fresh herbs in cooking. I used to not buy parsley because I thought I could do better by buying more food, but herbs do so much and are so cleansing to the body. Buy it and see how many meals that .99 cents plays into. I hope you are pleased with your creativity!

DIRECTIONS:

Peel (or don't, I never peel them) and dice cooked sweet potatoes

Dice onion and celery, set aside

Mix olive oil and lemon juice, add onion and celery and let it mingle

Chop parsley, add to mix

Stem marjoram (or oregano), add to mix

Season diced potatoes with salt and pepper

Toss seasoned potatoes with mingling dressing mixture

Serve warm, at room temperature or cold out of the fridge

Filling, flavorful, frugal and perfect for summer nights :)