The First Day of Fall

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Goat Cheese, Dried Cranberries, and Candied Pecans

This salad had a wonderful combination of flavors and textures- tart, chewy dried cranberries; salty and sweet, crunchy pecans; creamy, tangy goat cheese; sweet caramelized butternut squash; and crisp, peppery arugula tossed together with a light orange balsamic dressing. I made my Candied Pecans (see Aug. 28, 2009 blog entry for the recipe) with the addition of 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, which really brought out the fragrance of fall. This salad would be a perfect lunch entree or dinner salad course to serve in the upcoming holiday season.

Serves 4

Ingredients
- 8 cups baby arugula, washed
- 1 medium (about 1 pound) butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup Candied Pecans (see Easy Appetizers blog entry - August 28, 2009)
Dressing
- 1/4 cup tablespoons best quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon minced shallots
- 1 teaspoon honey
- fresh ground pepper
- salt


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler, cut in half and use a spoon to remove the center core. Cut the butternut squash in to 1 inch cubes and spread out on a large sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for approximately 45 minutes, or until caramelized. Set aside and let cool 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small saucepan, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, balsamic vinegar and the shallots. On medium heat, bring the ingredients to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. This dressing can be used warm, or made ahead of time and brought to room temperature.
To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, toss together the arugula and the dressing. Plate the dressed greens on a large serving platter or on individual plates. Top the arugula with the warm butternut squash, dried cranberries, and candied pecans. Use your fingertips to crumble the goat cheese a top the salad. Serve immediately.