This salad uses a dressing of Date Molasses, which is a thick syrup made of dates that has a tangy sweetness to it. The kabocha croutons can be made ahead. Be sure to use the green kabocha as it is drier than the orange.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups green kabocha, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes Neutral flavored oil as needed 5-6 cups baby spinach, cleaned and dried 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced very thinly 12 dates, pitted, sliced lengthwise into 8-10 slices ½ cup toasted hazelnuts, pistachios, or almonds, chopped 1 cup or as needed Sherry Date Vinaigrette (See recipe) Salt and Pepper as neededMETHOD:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with foil and lightly oil it.
Toss the kabocha cubes with enough oil to moisten them, then season with salt and pepper and put on the sheet pan. Roast for 25 minutes or until just becoming tender. Turn heat to 450°F and cook to brown the edges of the cubes and dry out the squash if it is really moist. When done, remove from heat and allow to cool.
Toss the kabocha croutons with just enough dressing to moisten and reserve.
Combine the mushrooms with the spinach, and add just enough dressing to moisten everything.
Divide the spinach and mushrooms between four plates, then scatter the dressed kabocha cubes evenly over the salads. Now do the same with the dates and nuts evenly between the plates. Drizzle with more dressing as needed, season with pepper and a touch of salt and serve.
Chef’s Notes:
You could hit the salad with a little mild feta or a creamy blue cheese. Depending in the nuts you use, you could use that type of nut oil in the dressing for further harmonizing. You could switch out the dates for pomegranate seeds and use pomegranate molasses instead of date molasses.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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I love all kinds of squash! One of my faviortes is oh-so-simple but such a favorite for fall – acorn squash baked with a pat of butter and sprinkle of brown sugar…mmm so good! I just made a Jamaican pumpkin soup over the weekend that had pumpkin and butternut squash that was awesome! You can’t go wrong with squash 😉 Enjoy!