Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

I'm finally finding time to cook more and miss chatting food with you guys. My latest fave is this salad. It's from Fresh Market Cookbook by Sara Foster. It's great to munch on for lunch. I like it a little warm or at least room temp.

INGREDIENTS(For the dressing)
1/3 cup apple cidar vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

(For the salad)
1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups black-eyed peas (I used frozen black-eyed peas)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram, plus a little more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus a little more for garnish
1/2 cup of the dressing
2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) crumbled goat cheese

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
To make the dressing, stir the vinegar, honey, lemon zest and juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Add the oils in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until all is incorporated. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup.
Next, scatter the diced butternut squash in one layer on a baking sheet with sides lined in foil. Drizzle the squash with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the squash is starting to brown around the edges and is tender when pierced with a fork, stirring the squash pieces every 10 minutes so the cubes brown evenly. When the squash is finished cooking, remove from the oven and let cool a little. Scrape the warm squash into a large mixing bowl.

Add the black-eyed peas, bell pepper, jalapeno, marjoram, parsley, 1/2 cup of the dressing, and season with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with the crumbled goat cheese, scatter with a little more of the parsely and marjoram, and serve warm or room temperature.