Warm Pumpkin Salad with Miso and Tahini
This salad is substantial enough as a main course, and versatile enough to take on just about any other produce item you can think of. Top the whole thing with mirin-glazed salmon for a decadent meal.
2 lbs pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp ground allspice
2 tbs olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
14 oz canned or home-cooked chickpeas, drained
½ small red onion, finely chopped
4 tbs roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a pinch of salt
3 ½ tbs lemon juice
3 tbs tahini paste
2 tbs water, to taste
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the squash with the garlic, allspice, olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Place on a tray, optionally lined with parchment, in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove and allow to cool slightly. While the squash is cooking, make the tahini sauce. Mix the crushed garlic with lemon juice and add the tahini. Now thin with the water and olive oil, and check for seasoning. You should taste a balance between the nutty tahini and lemon. To assemble the salad, place the squash, chickpeas, red onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Pour on the tahini sauce and remaining oil and toss carefully. Season with salt and pepper.
About the Chef
Stephanie Goldfarb is a Chicago-based chef and national food television personality specializing in seasonal, globally-inspired cuisine. Recognized as the winner of Food Network’s America’s Best Cook competition, and a celebrity chef on Kitchen Inferno and NBC’s Food Fighters, Goldfarb delivers unique and relatable culinary experiences to discriminating and casual diners alike. As the owner of the successful Seven Species Supper Club & Catering, she enjoys the challenge of building brand new menus each month that inspire both repeat clients and newcomers, and seeks opportunities to utilize new ingredients, techniques, and approaches in accessible ways.