Sage and Honey Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts and Pears

It’s easy to be bored with menu planning when it’s just too hot to think about food, until suddenly you are hungry with no plan at all!  Best to take some inspiration from your local Farmer’s Market. The one I frequent has such a pretty array of produce that it just invites you to make something yummy. Maybe it’s a weird combo, but I saw sweet potatoes and pears, and somehow it rang a bell. As beekeepers, we are always looking for fun ways to use honey and drizzling it on roasted sweet potatoes and pears seemed like it might be a hit. Well, it was, but the addition of a little sweet onion and earthy sage made it divine. This would be a fun company dish – it takes only a few minutes to prepare, and you could do the chopping ahead of time and store everything in the fridge. When it’s time to cook, just line a baking sheet with foil and toss sweet potatoes, pears, and onion in a little olive oil. Add salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Add the walnuts and bake another 10 minutes. Chop up some sage to sprinkle on top and then drizzle with honey.  Serve alongside a nice grilled steak or chicken breast, and it’s a perfect meal. Now you have a beautiful side dish that everyone will love.  Enjoy!

Sage and Honey Sweet Potatoes with Walnuts and Pears

Serves 6-8 (Can easily modify to serve any number your math will account for.)

Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 pears, cored and sliced

1 onion, cut in wedges

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup walnuts

2 Tbsp chopped sage

2 Tabspoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

Toss together sweet potatoes, pears, and onion.

Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and toss.

Bake for 15 minutes and add walnuts, stirring to coat with oil.

Bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until sweet potatoes are tender.

Before serving, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with fresh sage.