Sweet Potato, Ham and Goat Cheese Salad

A coworker recently gave me a copy of CookFresh, a seasonal publication gathering the best of Fine Cooking. It’s a publication I’m not familiar with, but judging from its delicious-looking recipes, I probably should be.

This issue focuses on healthy cooking with winter vegetables, which was just what I was looking for, since I wanted another seasonal salad for this week. The Sweet Potato, Ham and Goat Cheese Salad that graces the cover looked particularly appealing.

I ended up using light sweet potatoes instead of the orange kind, since they looked better in the produce bin. I also used arugula and radicchio instead of mesclun for the greens. The maple-glazed ham is a particularly nice touch in this dish.

Sweet Potato, Ham and Goat Cheese Salad
Adapted from a recipe by Fine Cooking

Serves 4

1 sweet onion, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb. ham steak (preferably “ham with natural juices”), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
5 oz. salad greens (the recipe called for mesclun, but I used a mix of arugula and radicchio)
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

1. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. On the baking sheet, toss the onion, sweet potato, 2 tbsp. of oil, 1 tsp. of rosemary, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and spread in a single layer. Roast until the vegetables start to become tender, about 15 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, toss the ham with the maple syrup. Push the vegetables on the baking sheet aside to make room for the ham and bake until the ham and onions are browned in places, about 10-15 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 4 tbsp. oil with the vinegar, the remaining 1/4 tsp. rosemary, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the greens with the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Divide the dressed greens among 4 plates. Top with the roasted vegetables and ham. Sprinkle each salad with some of the goat cheese. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.