More squash recipes! Sorry for the double butternut squash dishes this week, but on the spectrum of savory dishes, they are different in their own ways. More savory and full of aromatics, the butternut squash in this Roasted Squash, Pumpkin Seed, and Pomegranate Harvest Salad is tossed with a marinade of honey, allspice and cumin. After half an hour, we've got these beautiful, caramelized half-moons beaming with aromatic spices. Just one of the many treats in this salad, along with pomegranate seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, spiced caramelized shallots, and crumbled cotija.

Starting off we have a cute lil' palm-sized butternut squash! I sliced it lengthwise, and cut it into half moon shapes to suit the salad. I chose to leave the skin on because this squash was so young and small. Usually veggies on the younger side, or of a smaller variety, have thinner, more tender skin. Leaving the skin also helps the squash maintain it's shape and not get lost in this colorful salad. If you're not a fan of skin on veggies, go ahead and peel the squash, or even peel in stripes to reduce the amount.

When I was little, my best friend had enormous pomegranate trees in her family's backyard. I was always so curious about the trees, and the fruit we would occasionally bring home, yet they mostly sat around as a holiday decoration before it was too late to tackle the task of removing the seeds. Same thing with pomegranates in the grocery store. Little corners of the produce section, carved out for autumn and winter produce. Soon filled with all types of squash, funny shaped gourds, pumpkins, half a dozen kinds of apples, a little pile of chestnuts, and crimson colored pomegranates. Pomegranates were a bit of a mystery to me, or maybe not quite a mystery, but surely too beautiful to eat when I didn't really know what to do with them.

It wasn't until a few years later, when watching a cooking a show, I learned a trick for removing the seeds and using them in recipes. I wish I could remember what show and recipe it was that taught me this, but I know it was around the era of coming home from school, and watching 4 consecutive episodes of cooking shows on the Food Network. So, since then, I've made sure to bring home a couple pomegranates towards the end of each year, and think of something to enjoy them with.

I will say that this process is strangely peaceful, but I find most things in the kitchen peaceful, so I'll let you see for yourself. Though, it is satisfying to finally break open a pomegranate and see what's inside.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PUMPKIN SEED, AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

Tricks for Seeding Pomegranates

Start off by removing the stem and base of pomegranate.
Use a knife to make a shallow cuts halfway around the pomegranate, moving from the direction of the base towards the stem. Repeat so you have scored the pomegranate into four sections.
Then, break the segments apart, letting the pomegranate divide naturally into sections. This way, you avoid cutting through the seeds. No pomegranate juice mess!
Fill a large bowl with cold water, and submerge the segments. Then, go to work using your hands to gently separate the seeds from the waxy part. I find that using my thumb and rolling over large areas easily removes the seeds.
Once you have separated the seeds from the majority of the waxy fruit, remove the large pieces. You'll notice that any smaller waxy bits will float to the top of the water, while the seeds tend to sink, making it easy to skim the remaining off of the top.
Strain and rinse the seeds to loosen any straggling bits of waxy flesh, and enjoy in your recipe of choice!

Roasted Squash, Pumpkin Seed, and Pomegranate harvest Salad

Yield: 4 servings | Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

½ cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 of a large pomegranate)
½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 head of romaine, or curly lettuce, cut into bite sized pieces
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
Roasted Butternut Squash
1 small butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced into 1/2 inch half-moons
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 pinch salt and pepper
Honey Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
salt, to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 ℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the sliced butternut squash, oil, honey, allspice, cumin, salt, and pepper. Shake off any excess marinade from the butternut squash and lay the slices of seasoned butternut squash on the lined baking sheet, setting aside the remaining marinade.
Roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cook until tender and caramelized, then set aside and let cool.
Toss the shallots in the leftover marinade and sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until golden and caramelized.
In a small bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar and honey. While whisking, stream in the olive oil, until the dressing is fully emulsified and there is no separation. Add salt to taste.
Toss together the lettuce and dressing, then add the pomegranate seeds, caramelized shallots, and pumpkin seeds. Top with the roasted butternut squash slices and sprinkle with the crumbled cotija.