• Preheat the oven to 400F
  
• Bring 3 cups salted water to a boil. Add the rice and stir. Bring back to the boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer for 40 -60 minutes, or until the rice is tender. I prefer my wild rice chewy, so I cook for about 40 minutes. Drain and put in a salad bowl. Toss the warm rice with some of the dressing so that it can absorb the flavors.
  
• While the rice is cooking toss the sweet potato with the olive oil and maple syrup to coat well, and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  
• Roast just until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Rearrange them once during cooking. Put them under the broiler at the end if you want more caramelization, but watch very carefully so they don't burn. Let them cool.
  
• Meanwhile melt the butter in a skillet and toast the pecans for a few minutes until they start to turn golden and fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool, then give them a rough chop. This will give the pecans so much more flavor than if you leave them raw.
• Add the slightly cooled sweet potatoes to the bowl with the rice, along with the pecans, apple, cranberries, and onions.
  
• Toss with just enough dressing to moisten but not soak the salad. (Save the extra dressing in case you need to add more later.) Chill the salad until ready to serve.
  
• Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with feta cheese crumbles.
  

To make the dressing

• Whisk the ingredients together. Taste to adjust the seasonings or acidity level.