Autumn Roasted Squash, Apple and Goat Cheese Salad with Wild Blueberry Dressing
This is the kind of salad that earns its place at an autumn table.
Warm roasted squash, crisp apple, creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans and fresh microgreens all brought together with our Wild Blueberry Maple Balsamic Dressing. It has colour, texture and enough substance to sit comfortably beside Thanksgiving dinner without feeling like the obligatory bowl of greens no one really wanted.
We love making it with apples from Taproot Farms, Rancher Acres goat cheese and Go West Homestead Microgreens, but use what is fresh and close to you.
Ingredients
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces, about 3 cups
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• A good pinch of salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups mixed greens
• 1 crisp apple, thinly sliced
• 1 generous handful Go West Homestead Microgreens
• ½ cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
• ⅓ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1/4 to ⅓ cup Nourishing Circles Wild Blueberry Maple Balsamic Dressing
How to Make It
Heat the oven to 425°F or 220°C.
Spread the squash on a baking sheet and toss it with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Give the pieces a little room. Squash crowded tightly together will soften, but it will not develop those lovely roasted edges.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once. It is ready when the edges are deep golden and the centre gives easily when pressed with a fork, but the pieces still hold their shape. You want caramelized and tender, not collapsing.
Set the squash aside for 10 minutes. It can still be warm when it reaches the salad, but it should not be hot enough to wilt everything underneath it.
While the squash cools, place the pecans in a dry skillet over medium low heat. Stir them for 3 to 5 minutes, just until they smell warm and nutty. Take them off the heat before they darken too much. Pecans have a very short journey from toasted to burnt.
Place the mixed greens and Go West Homestead Microgreens in a wide bowl. Add the warm squash and apple slices, then scatter over the goat cheese and toasted pecans.
Start with ⅓ cup of Wild Blueberry Maple Balsamic Dressing and toss gently. Add more if the leaves still feel dry. The salad should be lightly coated and glossy, not sitting in dressing.
Serve right away while the squash is still a little warm, the apples are crisp and the goat cheese is beginning to soften around the edges.
Make It Local
We made this salad with Nourishing Circles Wild Blueberry Maple Balsamic Dressing, apples from Taproot Farms, Ran-cher Acres goat cheese and Go West Homestead Microgreens, all available at Noggins Corner. Use the beautiful ingredients growing near you, but if you are in the Valley, these are some very good places to begin.
