weeknight dinner: quinoa sweet potato salad a la bittman (csa week 11)

the only reason i doubted my tried and true idol was that this recipe seemed to have the potential to be quite bland. sadly, this is what i tend to think of late fall vegetables in general. this is certainly not one of the most flavorful dishes but instead let's the ingredients shine through. the quinoa's nutty texture and the creaminess of the sweet potatoes blend quite nicely and the flavor was surprisingly rich. good olive oil will go far here. i added a bit of lemon juice at the end for some zing.

bittman's sweet potato and quinoa salad

• 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa or other small-kernel grain or 1 cup raw
• 1 large or 2 medium (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes
• salt
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1/4 cup minced red onion or shallot
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic, sherry, or red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives or parsley leaves

• if you haven’t already, cook the quinoa or other grain. drain in a strainer and rinse.
  
• meanwhile, peel the sweet potato and dice it into 1/2-inch or smaller pieces. cook it in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes; drain well.
• toss together the potato, quinoa, bell pepper, and onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  
• whisk the oil and vinegar together and toss the salad with about half of this mixture; add all or some of the rest to taste.
  
• taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the chives and serve.