Delicata, Raspberry and Goat Cheese Salad
This salad was born out of a fridge full of farmers market goodies that needed a good home. I had raspberries, greens, delicata squash and goat cheese from the market, plus a homegrown leek.
At first, I wasn't sure how I could combine these. And after a few days of dwelling, the raspberries had gotten a bit sad and mushy. This was pretty disappointing, but I was still determined to use those raspberries. That's when inspiration struck: I could mush all the raspberries further to turn them into a dressing.
From that point, the rest of the salad construction was easy. I tossed the squash in the oven, minced the leek and threw it all together! The result is a zingy and refreshing salad that embraces the last bit of produce before winter.
Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 as a meal, 6 as a side
Ingredients
For the salad
1 delicata squash
1 small leek, minced
1/3 cup pepitas
4 ounces goat cheese
5 ounces (about 8 cups) mixed greens
For the Vinaigrette
1/2 c raspberries
1 tablespoon minced leek
3 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Methods
Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the delicata squash in half length-wise and scrape out the seeds. Then, chop the squash into 1/4-inch thick crescents. Arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cooked through and beginning to caramelize.
While the squash is baking, make the vinaigrette. First, mince the leek, setting aside all but 1 tablespoon. Next, place all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and blend until combined. Set aside in the fridge until ready to serve. Once the squash is done, let cool slightly before assembling the salad.
Place the greens on a large platter or in a large bowl. Toss greens with leeks, goat cheese and pepitas. Arrange delicata squash on top and drizzle with dressing. Dig in!
Sustainability Tips
Squash, leek, greens and raspberries: Make this salad when all the produce is in season in early fall. Doing this will make it easier to find local and organic produce. Buying organically and locally cuts down on pesticide contamination and can help you get to know your local food producers.
Goat cheese: Local is the way to go because it probably won't have weird preservatives, won't release as many GHGs during travel, will be delicious and will definitely support local goats.