Art Smith's Sweet Potato Salad, slightly modified by Ann

You all know I am addicted to sweet potatoes. I eat them several times a week. So when I saw this recipe in a magazine, created by Oprah's former chef, naturally I tried it. Very tasty! I've made it twice so far, and my family loves it. This would make a nice side dish to any meal, even Thanksgiving. The red peppers add a nice dash of color, too--as well as flavor. According to Art, it serves 8. But I say, that depends on how much you eat...

• 4 sweet potatoes, microwaved or baked until soft
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbs mustard, any kind
• 4 ribs celery , cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 small red bell pepper , seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 cup diced ripe fresh pineapple (I used unsweetented, canned, the small bits)
• 2 scallions , white and green parts, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper (I used 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp cayenne, but black pepper will work just fine)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans , toasted
• Chopped fresh chives , for garnish (I used about 1/4 cup and added to the salad)
  
  

Directions:
Cook the sweet potatoes. Cool until easy to handle. Peel, then cut into 3/4-inch chunks.

In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise and mustard. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the yams, celery, red pepper, pineapple,  scallions, pecans and chives. Toss gently, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Carefully stir in mayonnaise-mustard mixture until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. The flavors get even better if it sits several hours or overnightr.

Serve chilled.

November 2010