Sage roast squash & kale salad

This is a lovely warm autumn salad that makes a perfect light supper. This is really just a veriation on my favourite winter salad - Caramelized Parsnip & Kale Salad.  Basically any roast roots like beets or carrots or squash on a bed of kale works in this recipe.

You can use the leaves in the Stir fry packs we get from Ripple Farm as salad leaves too. They usually include cabbage, kale, radicchio and mustard leaves - so a little tougher and chewier than lettuce. But if you shed the leaves and then toss them thoroughly in a lemony or vinegary dressing and set aside for 10 minutes, it breaks down the cellulose in the leaves making them softer. And they are flavout and vitamin packed!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 medium squash - I used Harlequin but Hokkoido, acorn, red kuri or butternut would also work

1 small onion, any colour, chunky sliced

Small handful of fresh sage leaves

1 bunch of cavelo nero kale - about 150g (or mixed leaves from a stir fry pack)

Handful of toasted almonds, roughly chopped (walnuts or hazelnuts would also work)

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

For the dressing

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup/honey/agave
2 tsp cider vinegar
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

method

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Cut the squash into 2 cm wide slices, leaving the skin on.

Place on a baking tray, tear up the sage leaves and scatter over, long with the onion slices, add a drizzle of olive oil and mix to coat well. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 25 mins, until the squash is browned and a bit crunchy on the surface. Turning them over about halfway through to ensure they cook evenly.

Meanwhile make the dressing by whisking together the oil, maple syrup/honey, lemon, vinegar, crushed garlic and salt, pepper to taste.

Prepare the kale by removing the stems and ribs and chopping into bite-sized pieces. Toss in the vinaigrette and leave to sit - the vinegar and citrus will soften the kale.

Arrange the cooked squash pieces on top of your bed of kale, scatter over the toasted nuts and serve.