This salad is sweet, tart, fatty & salty and strikes a great balance between the carbs & fat you want when the weather turns cold, and more virtuous things like fresh greens.
Vegetarian, vegan & paleo with omissions; gluten-free with none
Delicata, Pomegranate & Arugula Salad
1 delicata squash
Arugula
1 pomegranate
Pecorino, romano or other salty aged cheese
Pomegranate molasses
Optional pulled meat of some sort – I used pork like this, this would also be fantastic
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
First, start your squash.
Preheat your oven to 425 F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Slice the ends off your squash and push the seeds out with a spoon. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds.
Lay squash rounds in a single layer on your prepared sheet – making sure not to crowd; brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Bake 20 minutes, flip, and bake another 20 minutes or until browned and nutty on both sides.
While the squash is working, de-seed your pomegranate (my favorite method is to roll the pomegranate on a cutting board to loosen the seeds, cut in half, and whack with the back of a wooden spoon. Not only cathartic, this method is really quick and only a little splattery).
Reheat your pork (I prefer crisping it up a bit either under the broiler or in a pan on the stovetop) and gather the rest of your ingredients.
When the squash is crisped, pull from the oven and start assembling your salad. I used about a cup of arugula, 6-8 slices of squash, a hand full of pomegranate arils, a Tablespoon or so of cheese, and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. Enjoy.
Depending upon the size of your squash, serves 2-4. My squash was on the small side and I was hungry, so it served 2.
Gastography 