{"id":5345,"date":"2011-12-20T13:06:51","date_gmt":"2011-12-20T20:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/?p=5345"},"modified":"2012-01-31T13:29:33","modified_gmt":"2012-01-31T20:29:33","slug":"a-squash-worthy-of-a-feast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/a-squash-worthy-of-a-feast\/","title":{"rendered":"A squash worthy of a feast"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’ve begun to dread any recipe that starts with cutting up a winter squash.\u00a0 Every time I slice open a butternut squash, I worry that I’m either going to break a knife blade or slash a finger before I’m done.\u00a0 Kabocha squash, which I love, is even more of a challenge.<\/p>\n

So it was a pleasant surprise when I sliced into a delicata squash<\/a> for the first time this year.\u00a0 The knife just slipped right through the thin skin and tender flesh.\u00a0 The heirloom squash didn’t even require peeling.<\/p>\n

The flavor was wonderful, too \u2013 a little milder than butternut, but sweet and rich with a creamy texture.\u00a0 It’s ideal for this beautiful salad I found in one of my favorite new cookbooks, “Eat Good Food,”<\/a>\u00a0 by BiRite Market owner Sam Mogannam and Dabney Gough (Ten Speed Press, 2011).<\/p>\n

The combination of roasted squash and fingerling potatoes with peppery arugula, pomegranate seeds and Parmesan is as delicious as it is colorful.\u00a0 I’m planning to serve it with a pork roast for Christmas dinner.<\/p>\n

The delicata squash looks a bit like a reverse image of its summer cousin, the zucchini.\u00a0 It’s sausage-shaped and rather small with green stripes on yellow skin.\u00a0 The flavor is so nice, it needs little embellishment.\u00a0 Roast the slices with a little olive oil and salt until the edges begin to caramelize and\u00a0 you’ve got a great side dish .<\/p>\n

For this recipe, the squash and potatoes are sliced fairly thin for quick roasting.\u00a0 Then they’re tossed with the arugula and pomegrante seeds in a vinaigrette made with champagne vinegar and shallots.\u00a0 A dish this substantial could be served as a vegetarian entree but I think of it as salad and starch in one.\u00a0 Just add protein, bread and a nice wine for a complete winter’s feast.<\/p>\n

DELICATA SQUASH SALAD RECIPE<\/strong>
\nServes 8 as a side dish<\/em><\/em><\/em>1-1\/2 pounds fingerling potatoes
\n1\/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
\nKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
\n2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds)
\n2 tablespoons minced shallot
\n2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or more to taste
\n2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
\n1 teaspoon dijon mustard
\n1 teaspoon honey
\n10 cups packed baby arugula (about 8 ounces)
\nSeeds from 1 medium pomegranate (about 1 cup)
\n1 cup shaved or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese<\/p>\n

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice potatoes lengthwise into 1\/4-inch slabs.\u00a0 Mound on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with 1\/4 teaspoon salt and toss to coat evenly.\u00a0\u00a0 Spread potatoes out into a single layer and roast until just tender and starting to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.Half squash lengthwise.\u00a0 Scoop out and discard seeds, then slice into half moons about 1\/8 inch thick.\u00a0 Place slices in a large bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, sprinkle with 1\/4 teaspoon salt, and toss to coat evenly.<\/p>\n

When potatoes are done, set them aside to cool.\u00a0 Arrange the squash slices in a single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets line with parchment or silicone mats.\u00a0 Roast squash, rotating pans after about 10 minutes, until slices are just tender and beginning to brown, 20-25 minutes.\u00a0 Do not overcook.<\/p>\n

In a small bowl, combine shallot, lemon juice, champagne vinegar, mustard, honey and 1\/8 teaspoon salt.\u00a0 Whisk to blend, then slowly drizzle in 1\/2 cup olive oil, whisking as you pour to create an emulsion.<\/p>\n

Just before serving, put potatoes and squash into a large bowl and drizzle with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the slices.\u00a0 Toss lightly and taste.\u00a0 Add more lemon juice and salt if needed.\u00a0 Add arugula, half the pomegranate seeds and half the cheese and gently mix with your hands.\u00a0 Top with remaining pomegranate seeds and cheese and a few grinds of black pepper.\u00a0 Serve.<\/p>\n

Adapted from “Eat Good Food,” by Sam Mogannam and Dabney Gough<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve begun to dread any recipe that starts with cutting up a winter squash.\u00a0 Every time I slice open a butternut squash, I worry that I’m either going to break a knife blade or slash a finger before I’m done.\u00a0 Kabocha squash, which I love, is even more of a challenge. So it was a … Continue reading A squash worthy of a feast<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5345"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5538,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5345\/revisions\/5538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}