Sweet Potato, Zucchini, and Chickpea Salad

By Rivka via http://www.food52.com/recipes

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

The sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes lend a nice balance to the lemony dressing in this dish. You can eat it for lunch, warm or cold, for Meatless Monday or even as a side dish for roasted chicken or pork.  You will find the ingredients for this vegetarian/vegan dish at Lost River Market & Deli.

For the salad:

2 sweet potatoes, diced into 1-inch pieces

1 zucchini, diced into 1-inch pieces

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 garlic cloves

3 sprigs parsley, leaves finely chopped

2 scallions, thinly sliced on bias

Olive oil

For the dressing:

1 Tablespoon tahini

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or silicone.

Spread diced sweet potatoes in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast 35-40 minutes, then add zucchini and roast an additional 10-15 minutes, until both vegetables are softened inside and caramelized in spots. (If vegetables haven't caramelized at that point, pop them under the broiler for 3 minutes, and they'll brown plenty.)

In a small frying pan over medium heat, sauté chickpeas and whole garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon of olive oil (just enough to moisten) for about 3 minutes, until the chickpeas dry out a bit and are warmed through. Remove garlic cloves, chop finely, and reserve for dressing.

In a medium bowl, mix chickpeas with yams and zucchini. Add parsley and scallions, and toss to combine.

In a small bowl, combine tahini, lemon juice and zest, olive oil, and half of chopped garlic. Add water by the teaspoon until the dressing is smooth and runny. Taste, and add additional chopped garlic if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over vegetables, toss to coat, and serve warm or room   temperature.