The saying “can’t win them all” has served me well over the years. I wish that I could take credit for it (credit goes to my friend Carolyn). Admittedly it is short, brilliant, and applies to numerous situation.
One such situation happened recently. I tried to make this:
but instead of Russet potatoes I planned to use sweet potato. I know. It sounds fantastic.
However, my first batch hit a small snag. The flour to egg to seasoning to potato to butternut squash ratio was off and the “pancakes” never formed. Instead I was left with butternut squash and sweet potato…hash? It was almost like shredded hash browns. I emptied the “hash” into a Tupperware, refrigerated it and adjusted my ratios appropriately. Luckily, the second batch turned out just fine but I was still left with a conundrum about what to do with the ill fated “batch 1”.
Today, in my rush to find and eat something lunch appropriate, I happened onto a delicious variation. I call it can’t win them all latke salad.
I’m not going to act like this is an act of culinary genius, but it kind of is. I simply reheated the “hash” (equal parts butternut squash and sweet potato, cooked with EVO, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin) and placed it on a bed of fresh farmers market arugula. How good is farmers market arugula? SO GOOD! It’s crispy and spicy and delicious. I am so glad I didn’t buy spinach this week, I don’t think it would have been as good. This mistake ended up being pretty tasty, no where near as bad as that time I forgot to add flour to cookies! That was an epic cooking disaster!
Have you ever had an epic cooking disaster?
Left Coast Contessa 
I’ve had many cooking disasters! I melted a cutting board in the oven once… not my proudest moment.
I’ve never had arugula before, but every time I watch Ina Garten she’s talking about it. I’m intrigued!
My most infamous cooking disaster was not really a cooking disaster but more of a boiling disaster.
One morning I put the Britta water pitcher on the burner instead of the tea kettle.
Yeah, I had to replace the burner…
My latest achievement was to forget my rice on the stove for such a long time and it stuck on the pot so badly, that I had to throw the pot along with the rice…
I love your re-imagining of the ingredients! I totally hate wasting food so I am majorly impressed.
I had an epic fail when I first started cooking for Andy (back when I was 21 awww) I made him breaded zucchini but it turned out HORRIBLE! I was so embarassed. He still teases me about it.
Even though the dish was a fail, you are a winner for salvaging the ingredients and making something from it.
My fails are mostly in my baking adventures. One time I thought I could just add Nutella to a cookie dough and it will come out moist…well that was not the case, it came out so hard that I couldn’t even fool anyone to think it was a biscotti, lol!
I read the post on the hike…sigh, I’m envy of the great weather, views and company you had.
I want to go next time.
Yes, while making a cake for my Dad’s birthday I couldn’t find the vegetable oil. I figured oil was oil and used peanut oil instead. Lesson, all oil is not the same.
Your final product looks very yummy!