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Sweet Potato & Pineapple Salad

July 1, 2008

The first encounter between a European and a pineapple occurred in November, 1493, when Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage to the Caribbean region, lowered anchor in a cove off the lush, volcanic island of Guadaloupe and went ashore to inspect a deserted Carib village.

There, amidst parrot-flecked jungle foliage and wooden pillars spiraled with serpent carvings, his crew came upon cook pots filled with human body parts. Nearby were piles of freshly gathered vegetables and fruits, including pineapples. The European sailors ate, enjoyed and recorded the curious new fruit which had an abrasive, segmented exterior like a pine cone and a firm interior pulp like an apple.

Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. Today, St. Martin-St. Maarten remains the smallest land mass home to two nations.

Preparation Time: 25-30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Servings: Makes 6

INGREDIENTS
1.5kg orange sweet potato (kumara), peeled, cut into 1cm-thick slices
Olive oil spray
3 sweet corn cobs, husks and silk removed
1/2 small pineapple (about 450g), peeled, halved lengthways, thinly sliced crossways
1 large red chilli, halved lengthways, deseeded, thinly sliced crossways
1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
2 tsp Caribbean lime infused avocado oil (see note)
Shaved fresh coconut, to serve

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the sweet potato, in a single layer, on the lined trays. Spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven, turning once, for 35 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill on high. Add corn and cook, turning, for 10 minutes or until tender and slightly charred. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Use a sharp knife to cut down the length of the corn cob, close to the core, to remove the kernels.
Combine the sweet potato, corn, pineapple, chilli, coriander and mint in a bowl. Season with pepper. Transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle over the oil. Top with coconut to serve.
Tip: Make this recipe up to 1 1/2 hours ahead.
Note: Caribbean lime infused avocado oil is available from some Woolworths supermarkets. If unavailable, use avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil instead.

Source: Australian Good Taste/Recipe by: Gemma Purcell

Written by alice · Filed Under News, Recipes 

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