Delicata Squash Salad

Since our CSA has started back for the fall season we have hopped on the winter squash bandwagon. We have had spaghetti, acorn, butternut, and - for the first time - delicata squash!


My apologies for not putting something for size next to the squash but it is much smaller than its winter squash cousins. You can prepare this much like the other winter squash varieties - slicing in half, scooping out the seeds, and roasting. We, however, chose to slice the squash into rings, push out the seeds, and roast with the skin on. We paired the roasted delicata squash with a mixed greens salad and zucchini fritters.


Roasted Delicata Squash Salad inspiration from cookie and kate blog 

Ingredients
Salad
2 medium delicata squash, around 1 and ¼ pounds total
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fine grain sea salt
4 heaping cups arugula (or mixed baby greens)
⅔ cup pomegranate arils (or a generous handful of dried cherries or cranberries)
⅓ cup raw pepitas (or pecans)
3 to 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Maple-balsamic vinaigrette
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon real maple syrup
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
   Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the squash and scrape off any tough bits of skin with a knife. Slice the squash into ½-inch wide rounds. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from each round. Drizzle the squash with a generous tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Use your fingers to lightly coat all surfaces of the squash with olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and golden, flipping halfway.
   In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pepitas (or pecans), stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and lightly golden on the edges. Remove from heat.
   In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and Dijon mustard with a pinch of salt and pepper.
   Once the squash has had a few minutes to cool, combine the arugula, pomegranate (or dried fruit), pepitas (or pecans), crumbled feta and squash in a serving bowl. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Serve immediately.

This is the salad recipe from the blog that I used as inspiration. I followed the preparation for the delicata squash but did not use pomegranate, pepitas, or feta. We substituted dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and goat cheese. I did make the vinaigrette and it was amazing.


I had extra zucchini from making muffins and instead of making more muffins decided to make zucchini fritters. To about 1 cup shredded zucchini I added an egg, cornmeal, and whole wheat flour until desired thickness (to hold shape). I plopped them into a hot pan with a little olive oil and flattened them out, turning over once browned.

What are your favorite winter squash?

Cat in a Bag

1 comment:

  1. This all looks good. Also like the cat in the bag.

    ReplyDelete