Recipes
Squash, Cheese & Winter Leaves
Crunchy and squashy, all at the same time.
The pears and pecans add a satisfying crunch to this salad, and the blue cheese dressing complements their flavours nicely. The squash base makes it a filler, as well as a thriller.
Ingredients
400g (14oz) squash or pumpkin, cut into chunks or slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little for the squash
75g (2.1/3oz) pecans
a dash of Tabasco
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
a pinch of cayenne pepper
200g (7oz) mixed winter leaves (purslane, radicchio or frisée)
2 ripe pears, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
blue cheese dressing (see page 218 of our Happy Salads book)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Toss the prepped squash in olive oil and season well, then roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove and set aside to cool. Mix the pecans with the Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and some salt. Put on a baking tray and place in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
To serve, toss the leaves and pears with the oil and vinegar and season. Layer with the squash and pecans and drizzle with the blue cheese dressing.
Tip
Add shredded ham hock if you want to pork it up a bit.
