Our Harvest Kitchen Food Service Manager, Chef Sean Kontos, loves sharing some of his recipes for the home chef. Visit our local foods café weekdays 7am to 3pm to enjoy this salad Sean’s way, or make this recipe yourself!
“This month, I wanted to share something on the healthier side, so I chose this versatile salad — which is equally delicious served warm or cold. It’s a perfect winter salad because we can utilize the beautiful sweet potatoes available from local farms right now. It’s hearty, and you get a nice spice from the vinaigrette. The barley and the sweet potatoes are also great sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber.”
— Chef Sean
Barley Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
1 c. dry barley
2.5 c. water
1 large sweet potato — diced small
1 tsp. dry sage
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 scallions — cut on a bias
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. chipotle vinaigrette — recipe below
salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the barley and cook on low until all the water is absorbed. Lay out the barley to cool down.
- Roast the sweet potatoes with salt, cinnamon, and dry sage until they are tender. Set aside to cool.
- Once the barley and sweet potatoes are cool, mix together with vinaigrette and enjoy.
Chipotle Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo — depending on how spicy you want it
2 c. oil
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. salt
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, blend together the chipotle peppers, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, and salt.
- While blending, slowly add the oil until it’s emulsified.
About Chef Sean
Sean is a native of Dover, NH, who has been working in the food service industry for 13 years. After graduating from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in culinary arts in 2011, he went on to cook around Nantucket and the seacoast of New Hampshire, focusing on local and sustainable cooking particularly tied to whole animal butchery. After backpacking through Europe, he and his now wife moved to Providence where he worked at Local 121, eventually becoming head chef. Most recently, he helped open Farm & Coast Market in South Dartmouth, MA, as a butcher and chef. Sean started out as a volunteer with our RI Farm to School program until moving on to work with Harvest Kitchen. Today he is an important part of our team, playing a major role in our local foods café, crafting our seasonal menu, and bringing skill and expertise to our operations.
