This morning, after tromping through the heavy rain to the farmers market, I arrived home rather grumpy and tired. After sorting through wet produce, cleaning out my soaked trolley and washing my dirt sodden potatoes, I decided to come up with a delicious way to use my purple skinned sweet potato with yellow flesh.

I wanted to make something delicious and new. After trolling the internet, I came upon sweet potato salad which gave me the idea of using Persian spices and a julienne cut for the sweet potato. The mystery spices are ground sumac and cumin; the sumac joins the lemon juice to offset the sweetness and the cumin adds some earthiness; It is delicious. I forgot to add cherry tomatoes today but I will definitely include those next time!

Persian-Inspired Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 large purple skinned sweet potato with white flesh

1 cucumber, ends trimmed and julienned

1 carrot, ends trimmed and julienned

1 large handful of edible podded peas, ends trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 red onion, peeled, sliced and finely chopped

1 large handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped (add fresh mint and/or parsley if desired)

2 scallion, thinly sliced

1 large handful of ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

For the dressing:

4 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 tbs good quality virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed with a press

2 tsp ground sumac

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

Scrub the sweet potato and remove any irregularities. Julienne with a mandolin using the larger blade. Put a steamer on and add the sweet potato. Steam for several minutes until the sweet potato is cooked through but not mushy. Take off the heat and let cool completely.

Julienne the carrot and the cucumber. Chop the onion. Slice the edible podded peas and scallions. Finely chop the fresh herbs. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Mix together all the vegetables in a large salad bowl.

Make the dressing. Juice one lemon and remove the pits. Add 4 tbs to a jar. Add the olive oil, ground sumac and cumin, crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and taste, adjusting if necessary.

Combine the cooled sweet potatoes to the salad. Serve and top with dressing.

Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Store the dressing separately in a sealed jar in the cupboard and consume within a few days.