Theme Recipe: Jicama Sunchoke Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing

In her important native cookbook Enduring Harvests, E. Barrie Kavasch fashions recipes around important Native events year round.  She does not forget that the last Friday of September had been designated as "Native American Day" and presents two recipes for celebrating the occasion; this is one of them.  While I've made this before, and can seriously recommend it, we're not having any today...instead it Chili made with homemade mild chili powder.   

Both jicama and sunchokes, as she prefers to call them, are native to the New World, but while one was a solid staple of natives in North America and the coasts of South America (sunchoke), the Jicama was not known much north of the Valley of Mexico, so it's pretty unlikely that they were served together in any fashion....but this is a great idea!  The salad also sports beans for protein.  Additionally, the dressing is great on any salad, and I've been known to make some and keep in the fridge for green salads--it's so much better than any bottled or jarred dressing that passes for Honey Mustard!

Jicama-Sunchoke Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

1 Jicama, peeled and julienned

2 cups unpeeled sunchokes, thinly sliced (note:  keep these 

   citrus water to keep them from turning dark)

1 1/2 cups red kidney or cranberry beans, cooked

1 large bunch watercress, (very) coarsely chopped (my 

   note:  I don't chop at all)

1 (small) bunch fresh mustard greens, coarsely chopped

1 green bell pepper, julienned

1 yellow bell pepper, ditto

1 red bell pepper, ditto

6 green onions (scallions), chopped

For The Honey Mustard Dressing:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup (raw) honey

1/2 cup Dijon style mustard (or use what you like!)

3 cloves garlic, finely diced or minced

1 cup sunflower oi (or other native oil)

3 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely minced

1 1/2 tbsp. fresh dill, minced

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste.

General directions are really simple.

1.  Mix all salad dressing ingredients together and whisk well (this also can be put in a bottle....the shake the hell out of it.)

2.  Toss all salad ingredients together and add the dressing and toss well again and let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.  Ms. Kavasch mentions that it is much better the next day, in which case, keep it in the refrigerator.

I just happened across this, I think it's awesome...I've always wanted to be able to carve melons. I really suck at it!