Autumn in a bowl.
This is a recipe I’ve been making for about six years, and the first that I return to each Fall as the leaves begin to drop and the air changes. Every bit of this salad - the colors, the textures, the flavors - even the way it’s prepared, just IS Fall. This is the perfect recipe to get you into the feels of the season, celebrate the harvest, and to begin your transformation into cozier weather.
I love cooking this recipe with the oven on and the window open in the kitchen, especially on a windy day, with the breeze rustling the leaves outside. Light a candle and throw on some Nora Jones or a Nat King Cole record and you’ll be grateful and ready for the change in the air.
This recipe is adapted from The Hands On Home by Erica Strauss - an amazing book that continues to inspire me. I highly recommend getting a copy - it’s just LOVELY. My adaptation has just a few differences based on preferences I’ve discovered over the years, as well as some tips on what kitchenware I use to really feel into my cooking. PS, the leftovers are just as yummy. Enjoy!
Farro Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash and Dried Cranberries
makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients & Steps:
items to get fresh: flat-leaf parsley, green onions, delicata squash (2), sage
items to check if you have first: good olive oil, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, farro, dried cranberries, garlic, maple syrup
Cook the farro. Using an instant pot or on your stovetop cook 1 1/2 cups of farro. While cooking roast the squash.
Roast the squash. Gather a cutting board and knife, 2 medium-sized delicata squash, olive oil, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (save for toasting later if desired). Slice crosswise into 1/4 inch thick C-shaped pieces and place them on the parchment paper. Pour 2 tablespoons over the squash and season with salt and pepper, then toss with your hands to get them coated. Arrange them in an even layer and pop in the oven for 15 minutes. Stir, then roast an additional 10-15 minutes. While roasting, make the dressing and prepare the other salad ingredients.
Make the dressing. Keep out your cutting board and knife, olive oil, salt and pepper. Gather a large bowl, measuring spoons and a tiny whisk. Place a small saucepan on the stove. Gather 2 cloves of garlic, a sprig of fresh sage, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup.
Finely mince two cloves of garlic. Finely mince the sage.
In the large bowl whisk together 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons of maple syrup.
Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the saucepan followed by the garlic and sage. Turn on the heat to medium low. When it begins to gently bubble, watch for the garlic to change color slightly. When it does, remove from the stove and pour into the large bowl with the vinegar mixture and whisk together. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
Prepare the other salad ingredients. Gather 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, one bunch of flat-leaf parsley and one bunch of green onions.
Roughly chop the parsley and onions on your cutting board and add the cranberries next to them.
Return all food items to their place in the fridge or pantry. Place your whisk, knife, saucepan, and measuring spoons in the sink.
Put it all together. Gather a large wooden spoon
Add the farro and squash to the large bowl, mixing together with the dressing.
Add the other salad ingredients and mix together. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Put all cookware in the sink and do a quick counter/stovetop cleaning, make sure the oven is off, and get out your favorite fall bowls, forks and napkins.
Serve and enjoy a lovely bowl of Fall harvest!
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the Fall.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald
