It feels like Autumn is trying to wash Summer away with the rain this morning. I personally cannot wait for the crisp cool air to waft on in and herald the beginning of the cosy months.
March 1 was strictly speaking the beginning of Autumn , I love changing seasons particularly with regard to cooking as it brings with it a new crop of ingriedients and produce that are at their best. I really believe in seasonal eating it just makes so much sense.
So hello Autumn and hello to your bounty
Beurre Bosc Pears
Quince
Pistachio
Hazelnuts
Almonds
Pomegranate
Red Cabbage and Lettuces
Pumpkin (see recipe below)
Ginger
Sweet potato/potato
Shallots
Fennel
Mushrooms
Leeks
Celery
Olives
What a bounty! So why not celebrate Autumn with this tasty pumpkin salad- recipe and photo from
101 cookbooks.
Roasted Pumpkin Salad
3 cups of pumpkin (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
extra-virgin olive oi
fine grain sea salt
12 tiny red onions or shallots, peeled (OR 3 medium red onions peeled and quartered)
2 cups cooked wild rice*
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Preheat oven to 375 F
Toss the pumpkin in a generous splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt, and turn out onto a baking sheet. At the same time, toss the onions with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and turn out onto a separate baking sheet. Roast both for about 45 minutes, or until squash is brown and caramelized. The same goes for the onions, they should be deeply colored, caramelized, and soft throughout by the time they are done roasting. You'll need to flip both the squash and onion pieces once or twice along the way - so it's not just one side that is browning.
In the meantime, make the dressing. With a hand blender or food processor puree the sunflower seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and honey until creamy. You may need to add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the dressing a bit. Stir in the cilantro, saving just a bit to garnish the final plate later. Taste and adjust seasonings (or flavors) to your liking - I usually need to add a touch more salt with this dressing.
In a large bowl, toss the wild rice with a large dollop of the dressing. Add the onions, gently toss just once or twice. Turn the rice and onions out onto a platter and top with the roasted squash (I'll very gently toss with my hands here to disperse the pumpkin a bit). Finish with another drizzle of dressing and any remaining chopped cilantro.
Serves 4.
* To cook wild rice: Rinse 1 1/2 cups wild rice. In a medium sauce pan bring the rice and 4 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes or until rice is tender and splitting open, stirring occasionally. You'll have enough for this recipe and some leftover.
