Every other week when I receive my farm produce bag, I vow I am going to highlight the produce and a recipe.   I have done that a couple of times with an “In My Kitchen” post and I do have a few saved in draft form.

Having some time at home recently during the weekdays, I decided I needed to recommit to both using up all the produce AND sharing more at EE.

Here’s what I made for a weekday lunch.

Delicata Squash, Apple and Spinach Salad

Based on Delicata Squash & Apple Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette  and Ella Risbridger’s “Fridge Draw Salad with Decent Dressing” from Midnight Chicken.  (Instructions were revised and a few ingredients were reduced or increased or deleted.)  

This is a great salad for lunch. (Serves 2 for a meal and 4 for a side salad.)

Ingredients

• 1 Delicata squash, halved, cleaned and cut into half moons
• 4 T. extra virgin olive oil plus more to drizzle on squash (divided)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 T. finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 t. lemon juice
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 1 t. white wine vinegar
• fine sea salt and pepper
• 3-4 handfuls of spinach
• 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. pomegranate arils

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the prepped delicata squash. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Roast for 20-25 minutes.
2. Make the vinaigrette.  Add the minced garlic, parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon, white wine  vinegar and 4 T olive oil to a jar.  Shake until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Prep the remaining items for the salad. Grab a large bowl and add 2 or 3 handfuls of spinach.   When the squash is almost done, dress the spinach with the desired amount of dressing and toss to coat each spinach leaf.  Set aside.
4. Remove the squash from the oven and begin to assemble the salad.   Grab a serving dish and arrange the spinach in one even layer across the dish.  Alternate strips of squash and apple on top of the spinach.  Sprinkle on the pomegranate arils and dirzzle more dressing if you desire.  Serve and enjoy immediately while the squash is still warm.

Yield: 2-4

Delicata squash is a small winter squash with a beautiful exterior of variegated orange and green stripes.  

The squash is top center of the above photo.   The skin is thin and edible which I love.  The flavor is like a butternut squash but the texture is not as firm when roasted.   This is not my photo but credit goes to LocalFarmOK.  (These were all the items we did receive in that week’s bag.)

What was the verdict of this salad?   The roasted squash was a hit and this coming from The Hubs who does not care for it.   I would probably add some shavings of parmesan to the salad or maybe a crumble of goat cheese.  I definitely needed to season the salad dressing a bit more with salt and pepper.