Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday. It is a holiday that is completely centered around food … oh, yeah, and family. I remember as a child going to my grandmother’s house as she prepared Thanksgiving for way too many people in way too small of a kitchen. Every year we would always have the same menu, because those were the dishes reserved for Thanksgiving. And I will tell you: to this day I still do not eat squash casserole.
Now, as an adult, I am the one preparing the Thanksgiving meal, which gives me room to play a little. Even though my mom is a little anxious at the lack of some of the classics, it is always a great meal with great company! So this Thanksgiving, I encourage you to throw out the squash/green bean/broccoli/mystery casserole and try something new!
I like this dish because if you already have squash chopped and ready to go, it can go in the oven right after you take your turkey out to rest. You can also make the candied pumpkin seeds and sage vinaigrette ahead of time. So it is ready to toss and serve!
Warm Roasted Pumpkin Salad (Serves 8)
pumpkin
1 small pumpkin or butternut squash
4 Tbsp. butter
seeds
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. paprika
½ cup raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ tsp. cayenne
cranberries
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 Tbsp. sugar
assembly
1 recipe Sage Vinaigrette (see below)
½ cup goat cheese crumbles
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425°F
Roast pumpkin and cranberries: Peel and seed pumpkin and cut into 1-inch chunks; arrange in one layer in a roasting pan. Season well and scatter pieces of butter liberally over, reserving 1 Tbsp. Roast pumpkin for 20-30 minutes or until tender and caramelized, reducing heat if needed to prevent excessive browning. Toss cranberries in 1 Tbsp. sugar; add to pumpkin during last 10 minutes of cooking.
Candy the pepitas: Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in 1 Tbsp. sugar, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne and a good pinch of salt, and then cook, without stirring, until caramelized. Add pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until seeds are puffed and golden. Transfer to a plate to cool. When seeds have hardened, break up any clumps with your fingers.
Assemble: Assemble roasted pumpkin pieces and cranberries on individual serving dishes or on a platter while still warm. Drizzle with vinaigrette; sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and cheese. Serve immediately.
Sage Vinaigrette (Makes 1 ½ Cups)
¼ cup sherry vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
20 sage leaves, chiffonade
1 shallot, minced
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Combine the vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and egg yolk in a bowl and let stand for 20 minutes.
Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking constantly. When nicely emulsified, season and add the herbs. Serve immediately. You can make this a day ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Whisk well before using.
