So, what is a salad? As opposed to what many believe, it is not a mound of greens slathered in an industrial gunk called a "dressing." It is not a plate of raw vegetables. It is not an umimaginative conglomeration of produce meant for only dieters. A salad is a perfect marriage of taste and texture which when properly created and structured, can be the highlight of any dining experience. All through the month of February, Chef Larry Edwards will be feauting the Salads of Casa de Cuisine and you will see salads like you've never seen them before.
There is something about the salads of the South which just makes my mouth water. The fact that only fine and fresh ingredients are used is certainly a major factor but I think the real difference is they use flavors and textures which greatly accentuate each other and this salad is a perfect example. If you have never spent time on a porch swing eating crab custard with black muffins then you have no idea what you've missed! If you have never marveled at the beauty of a peach upside-down cake made with those big juicy Georgia peaches, your life is not complete and don't even get me started on anything po' boy !
Then there is that southern way of cooling the night down after you've gone and caught a Mason jar full of lightning bugs (yes, dammit, I am still a mental child) - with a bowl of homemade peach ice cream or on a very special occasion, the utimate in refreshing, mint julep sorbet.
One of my fondest memories (of the eating variety) of one particular summer in the South was my first taste of sweet potato salad. I had simply died and gone to tuber heaven! When I opened my first restaurant with a southwestern theme, I fused southern sweet potato salad with our southwestern cuisine and the result was this dish! It still has that sweet and creamy southern base but now it also has a kick of the southwest!
I should also point out this goes absolutely perfect with any barbecue or grilled entree!
Ingredients needed to make Southwest Sweet Potato Salad:
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbs. Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tsp. raspberry vinegar
- 1 cup chopped glazed pecans
Steps:
- Place the sweet potatoes into a pot of boiling salted water and cook until fork-tender (meaning the tines of the fork penetrate the potato with very little force).
- Into a large bowl combine the jalapeno peppers and green onions.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and add them to the bowl (the heat from the potatoes will naturally "sweat" the peppers and onions and make a much fresher tasting salad).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, mustard and raspberry vinegar.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss. Cover the salad and chill until ready to serve.
- Before serving, add some of the glazed pecans to the top of the salad.
** Inside Google calls Chef Larry Edwards "quite possibly the most popular Chef in the world" and now you can find out what Chef Larry Edwards has coming up in the kitchen, on the road, in the restaurants and in the media by joining him on Facebook where the Chef's snarky personality and often controversial comments are always sure to cause a stir
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