Salad of Butterleaf, Roasted Kabocha, Blue Cheese, Dried Cranberries and Pepitas with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

An autumnal salad that is pretty to look at and tastes of the coming season. The ingredients act as foils and links all at the same time, and form a sort of flavor merry-go-round with each other. If you wish, you can add diced apples for more sweetness and crunch to the salad. See the “option” in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 head butter lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into serving sized pieces

1 medium kabocha squash (3-4 cups when cut), lightly peeled, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cut into ½-inch squares,

½ cup dried cranberries, orange flavored preferably

½ cup roasted or raw pepitas, your choice

1 cup gorgonzola (or similar blue) cheese, cut into ½ inch or smaller bits

1 cup Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette (see recipe on site)

Maldon Salt (or other flaky type) and pepper to taste

Oil as needed

-Optional-

2 cups of firm sweet and slightly tart apple cut into 3/8^th inch dice

METHOD:

Heat oven to 400°F. Place squash into non-reactive bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Place on a foiled sheet-pan and place in center of pre-heated oven, and cook until golden and crisped around the edges, and the squash is tender. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Place lettuce in to a non-reactive bowl with two-thirds of the cranberries and the pepitas. Drizzle with just enough oil to lightly coat the lettuce and gently toss to coat. Divide between 4 (preferably) chilled plates. Evenly distribute any cranberries or seeds that remain in the bowl bottom.

Divide the cheese between the salads and evenly scatter over them. Grip the rim of the plate in thumb and forefinger and give a little gentle tug back and forth to settle the bits of cheese into the salads.

Put the squash into the non-reactive bowl and drizzle with a touch of dressing. Gently distribute the squash amongst the salads, then scatter with the remaining pepitas and cranberries.

If you choose to use apples, place the dice apples into the dressing bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and gently move around to coat them evenly. Distribute evenly amongst the salads.

Season the salads with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen