Pumpkin is a fabulous fall ingredient. It is readily available in grocery stores and farmer’s markets during the autumn and winter months. Look for pumpkins that are free from soft spots and feel heavy for their size. A pumpkin can be stored in a cool dark place for several months.
Fresh cooked pumpkin has a sweet, earthy taste. It is highly nutritious and loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This salad is sweet and savory. I recommend using a sugar or pie pumpkin to maximize its flavor.
Start by cutting off both ends of the pumpkin so that you have a flat stable surface. Remove the skin with a paring knife. Cut the pumpkin straight down the middle. Scoop the seeds and dice the pumpkin into one-inch cubes and roast in the oven.
The dressing is a blend of fresh lime juice, toasted pumpkin seed oil, and olive oil. The pumpkin seed oil has a deep reddish-brown color and a nutty taste. It is a perfect finishing oil.
This salad is a perfect first course. It also serves as a hearty vegetarian main course. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 lb sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1-inch cubes
1T extra virgin olive oil
¼ small red onion, peeled and finely sliced into half-moons
2 limes, juiced
½ c toasted walnuts
2 T extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp toasted pumpkin seed oil
8 oz Greek feta cheese, diced into ½-inch cubes
1½ cups radicchio, cut into bite-size pieces
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss pumpkin with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place the pumpkin in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until just tender all the way through (about 35 minutes). Remove, cool, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
In a bowl, combine the red onion with fresh squeezed lime juice. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 250 degrees. Roast the walnuts for 10 minutes on a baking sheet and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil and pumpkinseed oil to the onion mixture. Mix well. In a large bowl, combine roasted pumpkin, feta cheese, radicchio, onion mixture and half the walnuts. Mix the salad and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with remaining walnuts and serve.
Notes:
The pumpkin may be roasted a day in advance.
Substitute French feta cheese for Greek feta cheese.
Substitute pine nuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds for walnuts.
This salad is delicious the next day.
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