This is a clever idea for your Thanksgiving table. First of all, when we imagine that Thursday table we think about the turkey, the stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and the prized pumpkin pie sitting on the sideboard or kitchen counter. The salad? Salad for Thanksgiving? I really never considered that a key part of the meal. I’ve always saved tummy space for other things.
Thanksgiving is synonymous with pumpkin, but for that pumpkin, well, isn’t that taken care of by the pie.
Let’s just reconsider. It’s fall, and pumpkins are everywhere. And beets and squash. Why not take all those fall delights and craft a Thanksgiving salad, a warm salad that will pair delightfully with the turkey, stuffing, gravy and potatoes.
This salad is a bold statement for your table. Bold in appearance and bold in flavor. It will be a welcome and happy addition to your Thanksgiving feast. [Or any other fall feast!]
This recipe is from the new cookbook Nourish and is one of the exceptional contributions from Amber Rose. All her recipes bear her distinctive, delicious signature.
Roast Pumpkin, Golden Beet & Squash Salad with Garlic
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients:
½ butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
4 golden beets, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
1 medium orange pumpkin (acorn squash or Japanese red kuri), halved, seeds removed
1 whole bulb garlic, cloves separated and unpeeled
A few tablespoons of olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the butternut squash into four long slices and place on a big baking sheet with the golden beet wedges. Cut the pumpkin halves into lovely crescent moon wedges—roughly four wedges per half pumpkin—and scatter those on the pan too with the garlic cloves.
Drizzle olive oil generously over everything, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. Keep an eye on them; you want the edges to start browning and the vegetables to be tender all the way through—check by inserting a small sharp knife into a thick piece.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and let cool a little. Transfer everything to a shallow platter and serve
Source: Nourish by Amber Rose, Sadie Frost, and Holly Davidson [Kyle, 2015]