Delicata Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Farro & Goat Cheese Salad

Hey, kids! It’s me! Bet you thought that I was dead!

Had to take a quick five (weeks) to do all of the usual Christmastime activities… shopping, wrapping, drinking wine, hosting dinners, attending parties, cleaning, drinking more wine, etc. but now that all that fanfare has ceased, I’m back in the kitchen this week just snapping away with my camera.

A few updates since last we spoke:

I’m going vegetarian.
Just kidding I could never do that BUT I’m trying to go meatless for a few weeks to prove to myself that I can live without prime rib.
I’m on day 2 of no meat and I’ve been waking up with the shakes.
Jk jk I’m not addicted to meat.

But in all seriousness, I reached for a bag of jerky as a snack yesterday and I came THISCLOSE to eating it before I was like, wait a minute… this is still meat. So when it came to making dinner last night, I had to flex my creative muscles a bit to come up with something that would be a) meat-free, and b) substantial enough to keep me full (because salads rarely ever do).

I happened to have two delicata squash on hand (my office hosted a “farmer's market” and I got to take them home for free!) so I began to scroll through the interwebs looking for squash salad recipes. Turns out, there were a lot of recipes that looked somewhat close to something that might satisfy me… but none of them were right on the money. I was downtrodden.

I turned on some jams to get my cooking mojo back. Settled on some classic Coldplay to inspire me. “The Scientist” was the first song to come on shuffle, and all of a sudden I felt overcome by a wave of emotions. Did Chris Martin write this song for me? Was it about him giving up meat for when he and Gwyneth were together? Pretty sure she forced him to become a vegetarian. Every lyric now had a double meaning… like it was my inner dialogue with the jerky.

Come up to [meat] you
Tell you I'm sorry [that I’m going vegetarian for a few weeks]
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you [in the snack cabinet]
Tell you I need you [literally, I think I said this out loud]
Tell you I set you apart [apart from the other snacks, so you don’t get eaten by someone else while I’m on meat-hiatus]

Nobody said it was easy [to go vegetarian]
It's such a shame for us to part [seriously crying rn]
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard [none of the articles I’ve read mentioned how depressed I would be]
Oh take me back to the start [of civilization when cavemen ate like nothing BUT meat]

If you’re thinking Jesus lady, it’s only been two days, just remember: this was yesterday. It had only been one day.

But in the catharsis of the meat grievance, I came up with a plan. Delicata squash, meet Brussels Sprouts. Two things that are equally dee-rishous when roasted, layered over a bed of greens. Insert cheese, some type of dried fruit, nuts and a grain, and I’d call that a SALAD!

Here’s how it’s done, son.

Delicata Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Farro & Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients (Serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side):

1 (5oz) bag of arugula
2 delicata squash (sliced into 1/2 inch rounds, seeds scooped out from each round)
1 pound brussels sprouts (ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise)
1.5 cups dry farro
1 (2.25oz) bag of macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 tbsp olive oil, separated
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp whole grain or dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425°F. While it heats, wash both delicata squash and slice into 1/2” rounds, scooping out the seeds and any stringy bits with a spoon. Do not remove the skin! The magic of delicata squash is that you eat the whole damn thing (except, of course, the seeds and the stem).
Slice your rounds in half, and spread on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to ensure that all pieces get a proper coating of oil.
Bake for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes. This is important as it makes sure both sides are evenly caramelized.
While the squash roasts, wash your brussels sprouts, slice off the bottoms where the stalk was attached and discard. Slice lengthwise and place on a second foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper, and make sure everything gets an even coating. Because I’m a perfectionist, I like to place all of the coated brussels cut side down so that everything cooks evenly.
While the squash is finishing in the oven (after flipping at the 15 minute mark), bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the dry farro, and bring the heat down to low to simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool. Add the brussels sprouts to the hot oven (still at 425°). Roast for 20 minutes, flipping over after 10.
Once all of the water has been absorbed by the farro, turn off the heat and pour into a large salad serving bowl to cool.
While the sprouts are finishing in the oven, combine the dressing ingredients (olive oil, balsamic, mustard, maple syrup), whisking with a fork, and pour over the farro.
Remove the sprouts from the oven and allow to cool. Turn off the oven. In the still hot (but not on) oven, toast the macadamia nuts in a pan for 10 minutes.
Add the roasted squash and brussels sprouts to the farro. Add the arugula, goat cheese, cherries, and toasted macadamias. Toss to combine and serve immediately.