Roasted Squash & Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Maple-Rosemary Walnut Cherry Crunch

As you can tell by the recipe title there is a lot going on with this fall Salad! I wait patiently for the Delicata, Honeynut, and Sweet dumpling squash to appear with the fall produce. You certainly can use butternut, but worth seeking out these seasonal varieties as they have a slightly sweeter deeper flavor than the butternut squash. My favorite blue cheese is Saint Agur, from France. It has a silky buttery consistency, that goes beautifully with the walnut, cherry combination.

Serves 6

The Salad

• 1½ pounds Delicata or Honeynut squash

• 8 ounces baby spinach

• 4 ounces good blue cheese, crumbled

• Maple-Rosemary Walnut Cherry Crunch, recipe below

• Cider-Dijon Vinaigrette, recipe below

Maple-Rosemary Walnut Cherry Crunch

• 1 cup walnut halves or large pieces

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

• ½ cup dried cherries, snipped into small pieces

• 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• Pinch of kosher salt

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 3–4 minutes. Add the butter and maple syrup and cook, stirring, until the walnuts are glossy and lightly caramelized.

Add the snipped cherries, rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt. Toss for about 30–60 seconds, just long enough to warm and coat the cherries.

Transfer to parchment paper and spread into a single layer. Cool completely. Break apart any large clusters before using.

Cider-Dijon Vinaigrette

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Make-ahead note: The vinaigrette can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and whisk well before serving.

To Prepare the Squash

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cut the Delicata squash into ½-inch half-moons, removing the seeds. If using honeynut squash, no need to peel, just seed and cut into bite-size slices.

Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast until deeply caramelized at the edges and tender inside, turning once, about 25–30 minutes for delicata or 30–35 minutes for honeynut.

Cool to room temperature.

To Assemble

Arrange the spinach on a large platter. Scatter the roasted squash over the spinach, followed by the blue cheese.

Drizzle lightly with the cider-Dijon vinaigrette, allowing some of the dressing to fall between the leaves rather than saturating the spinach.

Scatter the Maple-Rosemary Walnut Cherry Crunch generously over the top.

Serve immediately.

Note: The squash, dressing and walnut-cherry mixture can all be prepared ahead. Keep the crunch separate until assembly so the walnuts remain crisp.

This combination is a fabulous addition to any cheese board - also, a lovely hostess gift!