Our local farmers’ markets — just when we need them most — are starting to look a little grim. We’re ready for bright and restorative; the market says, “How about a nice onion instead?”
Don’t be defeated, and definitely don’t give up on your local market. There is an answer, and it’s not the hothouse tomatoes and cucumbers, which feel like infiltrators from another world. (You’re actually covered in a layer of snow, tomato — you know that, right?)
"When everybody's trying to counterbalance all the butter they ate during the holidays, but they still want a lunch or dinner that's tasty and satisfying (and brightly colored)," Food52er Ameliorator wrote to me: "This is the salad to turn to."
It comes from Sam & Sam Clark of Moro restaurant in London, and puts to use ingredients you probably already have, or at least have been side-stepping at the market till now.
It starts by roasting butternut (or any) squash in cubes, like you always do, but throws in some nuance — ground allspice and minced garlic (which won’t burn like you’d think).
Then, while they’re still a little warm, you’ll toss them with chickpeas — best cooked from scratch, but a can will do.
A vinaigrette might sink into the squash and slide off of the chickpeas. Here, you’ll want a dressing that clings.
That’s where tahini comes in — a vegan means of adding smoke, protein, cream, and substance (also an impressive carrier of garlic, lemon, and salt). This dressing is four ingredients and five minutes away, and you will want to put it on everything.
But your bowl at this point is still looking like a burnt sienna paint strip at Home Depot. You can still do better. How about a good fistful of green cilantro leaves, some purple onion bits?
(Maybe you want the grip of sweet raw red onion to shake up your mouth right now. Maybe you don’t. If you’d prefer to tone it down, just soak the onion bits in cold water for 15 minutes or so after chopping.)
This is a salad that eats more like a gratin, without the cheese hangover. As Ameliorator put it, “It’s vegan, but warm and filling and never leaves you thinking it would have been improved with bacon.”
It’s hefty enough to be the only thing on the table, light enough to not make you groggy, lively enough to make winter squash — and winter itself — a lot more compelling.
Adapted slightly from "Casa Moro" by Sam and Sam Clark (Edbury Press, 2005)
Serves 4
2 lbs. pumpkin or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
14 oz. canned or home-cooked chickpeas, drained
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a pinch of salt
3 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. tahini paste
2 Tbsp. water, to taste
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
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.
This article originally appeared on Food52.com: http://food52.com/blog/9599-moro-s-warm-squash-chickpea-salad-with-tahini
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