(Family Features) The fresh flavor of favorite foods pulled hot off the grill makes summer cookouts a treasured pastime for families across the country. This year, you can make new memories at those backyard barbecues by keeping in mind that grilling isn’t only about charred burgers and steaks – delicious, grilled vegetables can be just as enjoyable.
Nutritious and full of antioxidants, sweet potatoes are a perfect option for summer recipes as they’re easy to grill in a recipe like Sweet Potato Wedge & Purple Cabbage Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing. Hearty yet light for a tasty side dish, this salad is effortlessly simple and combines crispy purple cabbage, juicy tomato, velvety feta and poppy seed dressing around sweet potato wedges as the star of the show.
With nearly 70% of the nation’s sweet potatoes produced in North Carolina, the state is the largest producer in the country of the year-round veggie ideal for grilling on those hot summer days. As a versatile superfood, their rich nutritional value and ease of use in a variety of dishes make them an ideal ingredient in recipes ranging from breakfasts and salads to protein bowls, tacos and more.
In addition to cooking on a classic grill, sweet potatoes can also be prepared using a griddle. Until Sept. 30, you can enter the North Carolina Sweet potato Commission’s Blazin’ Blackstone Giveaway to win one of 14 prize packages including the grand prize: a 28-inch XL Culinary Pro with Rangetop Bundle. Join fellow “griddlers” by sharing a photo of your favorite sweet potato recipe and encouraging friends, family and online followers to do the same.
Learn how to enter the giveaway and find more information at ncsweetpotatoes.com.
Sweet Potato Wedge & Purple Cabbage Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
Recipe courtesy of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission
Servings: 4
2 North Carolina sweet potatoes
1/2 head purple cabbage
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
6 tablespoons poppy seed dressing, divided
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
Preheat grill to 400 F.
Scrub and wash sweet potatoes. Cut each into six wedges. (If sweet potatoes are long, consider cutting wedges in half.) Parboil sweet potatoes 5 minutes, drain and cool 5 minutes.
Shred cabbage into thin slices.
Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.
Place sweet potato wedges on grill perpendicular to grates over direct heat; grill about 3 minutes on each side, or until tender-crisp with grill marks on each side. Remove from grill and set aside.
In zip-top bag or large bowl, toss cabbage with 4 tablespoons poppy seed dressing until coated. Add parsley and tomatoes; toss.
To serve, place sweet potato wedges on bed of dressed cabbage and drizzle with remaining poppy seed dressing then sprinkle with cheese.
Serve warm or cold.
