Sweet Potato, Pear, Spinach + Cranberry Salad with Walnuts

Wash the potatoes and scrub the skin. Dice into squares, approximately 1” cubed. Larger would be fine but will take a bit longer to cook. Place on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and ½ the salt. Toss and spread in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast for about 14 minutes total (longer if larger cubes), but be sure and toss the cubes once or twice during this time.

Remove from the oven when they’re tender.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, black pepper, and the rest of the salt. Mince garlic as finely as you can. Add it. Slowly stream in the remaining oil while whisking. Continue whisking until dressing is fully emulsified.

Wash and dry the baby spinach leaves. Place in a large salad bowl.

If you have raw walnuts and prefer to toast them, set them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stay very close by! It will seem to take a while but then suddenly they’ll burn. Stir often and gently, slowly toast. When you have a little color and they’re fragrant, remove to a plate to cool.

Add the cranberries and walnuts to the spinach.

Slice the pear into small cubes or thin strips. Add to the bowl.

Zest the lemon and set it aside.

When potatoes are done, carefully toss with the zest and half of the juice.

Toss with dressing or serve the dressing on the side for diners to spoon over top.