Festive Fall Salad

Each morning when I open up my e-mail inbox, I am momentarily deceived with excitement by the lengthy list of "new" messages awaiting.  I say this because the vast majority of these messages are flowing in from foodie websites instead of personal contacts. The usual routine is to quickly flip through each of their colorful depictions of featured recipes, deleting as I go, and sometimes clicking onto their website for a period of cooking curiosity. Why do I sign up for so many of these things? I often wonder.  

The other day, however, I opened an email from the newly popular "gojee" website, which contained pictures from a recipe titled, Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.  I couldn't help but be inspired to make the following salad that same day. 

And, alas, my pumpkin-inspired cooking continues... 

 Same-day media sparked dinner.

The title of this recipe is quite a mouth full, so with a few modifications (recipe below), I have dubbed this amazing dish, "Festive Fall Salad."  This recipe presents everything I love about salads, including contrasting textures, sweet dressing and savory toppings, vibrant color, and creamy cheese.  I would have loved to have used sweet red bell peppers for an extra color kick, however, they were just too darn expensive to justify. Even if you don't make this salad, bookmark this recipe for the dressing alone. It has become a quick favorite! 

Pumpkin, golden potatoes, and sweet bell peppers
are the star vegetables of this salad (sorry leafy greens).

I had never considered frying goat cheese myself, but there is nothing else like it. Warm and gooey with a crispy coating... this makes for a decadent treat!  Take caution when turning the pieces over in the oil as this cheese is extremely soft and quick to ooze. I may have had a casualty.

A small "log" of cheese was cut into thick slices
and rolled in a mixture of salted bread crumbs and flour. 

These breaded cheese pieces were then gently nestled into
a pan of hot oil until browned on each side.

After the cheese and veggies are cooked, the thing left is salad assembly. Because this dish is adorned with warm toppings, it makes for an excellent cold season salad choice.  Try pairing with toasted bread and red wine (I used homemade garlic bread and shiraz) for a meal that makes you feel as if you are dining an at intimate table with a view of a city skyline.  

Think about making this for a tasty twist
 on date night or girl's night in!

Festive Fall Salad
Adapted from LunaCafe blog
Serves 4

Salad components:
4-5 golden potatoes, washed and cut into 8 wedges each
3 cups cubed butternut squash or pumpkin, seeded and peeled, cut into large chunks
1 sweet bell pepper, washed, seeded, cut in half into thick slices
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (2 teaspoons dried)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1  teaspoon course salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Mixed greens salad (about 1 large handful per serving)
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans (for garnish)
1/4 cup dried cherries or sweet cranberries (for garnish)

Cheese:
4 ounces goat cheese, 2-inch diameter log
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the squash, potatoes and bell pepper for roasting by cutting them as specified above and  tossing in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and salt & pepper. Arrange these vegetables evenly on an edged baking sheet (try not to overlap pieces).  Roast for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender with caramelized edges.  While the veggies are roasting, prepare the vinaigrette (below) as well as the goat cheese.

To prepare the goat cheese, mix together the flour, bread crumbs and salt in a small bowl. Cut the goat cheese into thick rounds and dip each piece into the flour mixture, gently pressing down to coat well. Warm the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and gently place the cheese pieces into the oil to cook. Saute on both sides (about 2 minutes) so that they are warmed through and browned on all edges.  The oil should sizzle a little bit, otherwise the edges will not be crispy.  When finished, place pieces onto a crumpled paper towel to remove excess oil.

Once the vegetables are finished roasting, it is time to assemble the salad. Toss the roasted veggies in some of the prepared dressing to coat. Place a handful of mixed salad greens onto a plate. Top with roasted vegetables, then nuts and dried fruit, then drizzle a bit of extra dressing to taste. Finish the presentation by crowning the dish with 1-2 fried goat cheese pieces . Sprinkle with a shake of fresh cracked pepper and a pinch of sea salt.  Serve while cheese and roasted vegetables are still warm!


Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup

9 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together using a bowl and whisk or shake in a capped bottle until ingredients are emulsified. Stores in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Try on everything!