On one of our first visits to EAT in Hillsboro we tried their sweet potato salad as a choice of side dish. Now, we’ve all had candied sweet potatoes and maybe a sweet potato souffle and there’s nothing wrong with either. But, sweet potato salad deserves a place in all our diets. After all, sweet potatoes are orange, full of vitamins, nutrients, fiber and near the top of ever food guru’s list of must eat foods. We should be looking for lots of ways to enjoy them.

So, as my wife and I enjoyed chef Avery Elliot’s creation we also dissected it to recreate at home. Couple of weeks ago I made my first attempt at reproducing EAT’s version. Today I made my second batch and put my own touch on a great dish. Here’s the basic recipe I’ve settled on.

• 1 large sweet potato nuked until fork tender but not mushy and cut into cubes
• 1 large Granny Smith apple finely diced with peel left on
• 1/2 red onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 yellow or red sweet pepper finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked chipolte peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped (optional)
• dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
• dash of salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• enough real mayonnaise to make as wet and creamy as you prefer
• I added a splash of milk to increase the moisture

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, chill, and when dishing up garnish with something green like parsley or chives and some chopped pecans. 

You may find yourself making this more often than regular potato salad because it is so simple and has such a unique flavor. The dish is a natural paring with a savory pork or turkey roast.

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