This is a salad completely made with the harvest of the fall. It is so flavorful that I think it can go head-to-head with any summer salad. I first made it for a charity benefit at the Center for discovery, which works with special needs children and adults in a country farm setting. It was a sit-down dinner for 275, and I had the farm as my supermarket. Instead of aisles, there were lush rows of vegetables and orchards to stroll. This was the shortest farm-to-table commute that any vegetable could take. Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients. For some reason, people won’t complain about having lots of ingredients if you are talking about paella or bouillabaisse, but they expect their vegetable recipes to be much simpler. Not me. I think vegetables can be as complex and want just as much care and thought as any lobster, beef, or poultry recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound kabocha squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 small leek, white part only, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon whole tarragon leaves
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- ½ pound mustard greens, rinsed and stems removed
- ½ pound Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves removed, stem ends trimmed, and thinly shaved on a mandoline
- 1 small watermelon radish, thinly sliced
- 1 medium Gala apple, cored, thinly sliced
- 1 small grapefruit-size celery root, peeled and diced
- ½ cup blanched skinless hazelnuts, toasted
- 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
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To make the squash
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season the squash halves with salt and pepper, drizzle with the olive oil, and sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour the water in a baking pan and add the squash, flesh side down. Roast until fork-tender, about 30 minutes, and let cool. Peel and cut into ½-inch dice and set aside. To make the vinaigrette
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the leek, mustard, olive oil, honey, lemon juice, vinegar, and tarragon leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To make the salad
- In a large bowl, combine the mustard greens, Brussels sprouts, radish, apple, celery root, hazelnuts, and cheese. Add the squash and toss with the vinaigrette. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.