The Salad of the Season

Roasted Squash with Kale and Yogurt Sauce 

Serves 4

We developed this salad in response to a vigorous winter squash harvest and a row of kale that just won’t quit! The yogurt sauce/fresh leaves/roasted vegetable format is a flexible one. Try it with your favorite seasonal greens in place of the kale, or substitute carrots or beets for the squash.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

• 1/2 cup golden raisins

• 2 T red wine vinegar

• 1 or 2 winter squash (acorn, delicata, butternut, kabocha, etc.)

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• olive oil

• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

• 1 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup tahini

• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

• 1 bunch kale, washed with ribs removed

• 2 T za'atar (or a mix of sesame seeds, cumin, thyme, and salt)

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/3 cup roasted almonds, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine garlic, raisins, and vinegar in a bowl and let stand.

Cut squash into pieces roughly 1/2 x 1-1/2 inches. Leave the skin on more delicate varieties like acorn and delicata, but remove it on tougher varieties like butternut. Toss the squash with a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of sesame oil and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Roast in a single layer for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce. Combine the yogurt, tahini, half the lemon juice, and all the lemon zest into a bowl and mix well. Depending on the consistency of your yogurt, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to smooth out the yogurt mixture. Season with salt.

Chiffonade the kale leaves in batches by stacking the leaves in a pile about an inch high and rolling them up into a tight cigar shape. Slice the roll of leaves into thin ribbons 1/8 - 1/4 inch wide. Combine the other half of the lemon juice with a tablespoon of olive oil and toss the kale in the dressing.

In a small pan, lightly toast the za'atar until fragrant. Turn off the heat and add just enough olive oil to saturate the za'atar and bring it together into a sauce (about 1 tablespoon).

To serve, smear a generous dollop of yogurt on the surface of the plate, then cover with a heap of dressed kale. In another bowl, toss the roasted squash with the raisins, their vinegar liquid, and the sliced red onion. Pile the squash mixture over the kale and top with chopped almonds. Finish the salad with a drizzle of the za'atar oil. Enjoy!