Flavors of Fall — Butternut Salad

  

     There’s just one thing wrong with this salad — I didn’t make nearly enough. I used a small butternut squash (from our garden) to test this recipe that I’ve been contemplating for awhile.

     The salad consists of a trio of ingredients I associate with fall—golden orange butternut squash, dark red craisins and oven-toasted walnuts. It is dressed with a basic vinaigrette that gets a flavor boost from both Dijon mustard and Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar. The Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar is a specialty vinegar from The Tasteful Olive; it’s light colored (actually slightly pink from the an infusion with cranberries) so it provides a tangy yet light crisp taste, and it doesn’t darken the dressing like regular balsamic vinegar.

      This recipe is definitely a keeper but next time I’ll start with a large butternut squash.

Flavors of Fall Butternut Salad

Salad

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Craisins – see step # 3 for guide to how many craisins I used

The Tasteful Olive’s Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar

Toasted walnuts (bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 5 to 8 minutes, watching closely) – see step # 4 for guide to how many walnuts I used

Vinaigrette  – basic vinaigrettes are made of a 3 or 4 to 1 ratio—3 or 4 parts oil to 1 part vinegar; for example, use 6 tablespoons of oil to 2 tablespoons of vinegar. The mustard in this recipe helps to emulsify (hold together) the ingredients + adds another layer of flavor. I used about 1 teaspoon for 6 tablespoons of oil & 2 tablespoons of vinegar

1 part The Tasteful Olive’s  Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar

Dijon vinegar

3 parts The Tasteful Olive’s  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste

Kale leaves or other greens of your choice if desired

1. Place prepared and diced butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for about 15 minutes (more or less) until squash is fork tender and lightly caramelized. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
   
3. As squash is baking, add craisins to a bowl and drizzle lightly with the Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar. This will infuse the craisins with additional flavor + also cause them to “plump.” How many craisins? For 1 to 1 ½ cups of roasted squash (it does shrink as it bakes) I used about ½ to ¾ cup of craisins.
   
4. Coarsely chop toasted walnuts. How many walnuts? For 1 to 1 ½ cups of baked squash (it does shrink as it bakes), I used about ⅓ to ½ cups of chopped and toasted walnuts.
5. In a bowl toss together squash, plumped craisins and walnuts.
6. Vinaigrette: Add Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar and mustard to a bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you drizzle. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Note: Salad dressings are a perfect place to splurge on really good extra virgin olive oil where its first pressed flavor can be savored.
   
7. Add dressing and to the trio of salad ingredients and let stand 15 to 20 minutes if time allows.
8. To Serve: Spoon dressed salad onto greens of your choice. Serve at room temperature.

   

   The Tasteful Olive in Overland Park, KS provided the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar used in this recipe. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Flavors of Fall Butternut Salad

Salad 

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Craisins – see step # 3 for guide to how many craisins I used

The The Tasteful Olive’s Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar

Toasted walnuts (bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 5 to 8 minutes, watching closely) – see step # 4 for guide to how many walnuts I used

Vinaigrette  – basic vinaigrettes are made of a 3 or 4 to 1 ratio—3 or 4 parts oil to 1 part vinegar; for example, use 6 tablespoons of oil to 2 tablespoons of vinegar. The mustard in this recipe helps to emulsify (hold together) the ingredients + adds another layer of flavor. I used about 1 teaspoon for 6 tablespoons of oil & 2 tablespoons of vinegar

1 part The Tasteful Olive’s Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar

Dijon vinegar 

3 parts The Tasteful Olive’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste

Kale leaves or other greens of your choice if desired

1. Place prepared and diced butternut squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
2. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for about 15 minutes (more or less) until squash is fork tender and lightly caramelized. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
3. As squash is baking, add craisins to a bowl and drizzle lightly with the Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar. This will infuse the craisins with additional flavor + also cause them to “plump.” How many craisins? For 1 to 1 ½ cups of roasted squash (it does shrink as it bakes) I used about ½ to ¾ cup of craisins.
4. Coarsely chop toasted walnuts. How many walnuts? For 1 to 1 ½ cups of baked squash (it does shrink as it bakes), I used about ⅓ to ½ cups of chopped and toasted walnuts.
5. In a bowl toss together squash, plumped craisins and walnuts.
6. Vinaigrette: Add Cranberry Pear Balsamic Vinegar and mustard to a bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you drizzle. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Note: Salad dressings are a perfect place to splurge on really good extra virgin olive oil where its first pressed flavor can be savored.
7. Add dressing and to the trio of salad ingredients and let stand 15 to 20 minutes if time allows.
8. To Serve: Spoon dressed salad onto greens of your choice. Serve at room temperature.