More fall salads in time for Thanksgiving

Wild rice and squash. #2 in the series.

Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up which happens to be my favourite holiday actually, it is my second favourite holiday, Christmas taking first place. Thanksgiving this time of year, October, makes sense to me rather than at the end of November for American Thanksgiving, when it’s cold, leaves are off the trees and Christmas is around the corner. My parents live in Vermont and I try to get there if I can enjoying two Thanksgiving holidays.

I love everything about fall. Canadian Thanksgiving is a great time of year to celebrate all vegetables; once the tomato season is over then I am cooking with root vegetables, beets, carrots, celeriac, parsnips, and squash. October still has warm weather, clear blue skies, turning leaves. Leading up to Thanksgiving, there is pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice (I know….) things with cinnamon, apples, soup, turkey and squash is my favourite. Not Shawn’s though, and so cooking this time of year is a bit of a balancing act of not too many root vegetables or squash at any one time, although he is coming around. There are so many kinds of squash to choose from and all are delicious. When I’m roasting squash, I’m snacking on fresh out-of-the oven nuggets of squash with salt. So good. 

Wild rice back on the table

I was in a restaurant for breakfast recently, with the girls and ordered wild rice which had been cooked in coconut milk topped with berries and seeds. It was delicious, nutty, crunchy, healthy. Why don’t I make it very often? Does it take too long? Too fussy? It’s not inexpensive but you also don’t need much for a portion and it is a lovely, elegant, Canadian grain. I was mulling about a salad to take to a friends for dinner and thought it would be a change of pace to serve wild rice as a base for roasted squash, topped with nuts or seeds and served warm or room temperature. This salad would be a nice weekend dinner accompaniment or even part of the Thanksgiving festivities. 

This recipe is a side salad or a side dish and you can be creative with toppings, cranberries, no cranberries, nuts no nuts, fresh parsley and other herbs or none. The flavours of the rice and squash alone are delicious and fulfilling. Everything can be made in advance and then before serving, bring to room temperature or slightly heat the squash in the oven at 350 degrees until it is hot. Assemble the salad warm or at room temperature. It is a lovely dish to bring to friends. 

Wild rice and roasted squash

Recipe

1 cup wild rice (1 ½ cups water)
Salt for the rice (1 tsp)

Assortment of squash - I used acorn, butternut, delicata (enough to fill one baking sheet)
¼ cup olive oil plus more for brushing on the squash
Juice of ½ lemon
½ shallot minced (about 1 tablespoon)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
Pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
¼ cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper

To make the rice:

Combine rice, water, salt and bring to a boil. Cover and set a timer to 40 minutes. 

Check at 30 minutes and make sure there is still enough water if the rice is not cooked adding more if necessary. I like it slightly crunchy, not mushy - prepare the rice until you are happy with the consistency - it may take up to 50 minutes to cook. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash into 1/2” slices. I roast the squash and then peel the butternut and acorn after it is done and cooled slightly. The skin of the delicata is edible. 

Brush the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes. Test - it should be tender but not mushy. 

While rice and squash are cooking, make the dressing:

Combine lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, pinch of coarse salt, and the shallot. 

Toast the pumpkin seeds until you can smell them - about 3 minutes. Add the smoked paprika if using. Set aside. 

Assemble the salad. 

Using a platter large enough for everything, arrange the rice, then the roasted squash, sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Add the dressing over top and gently mix together. Taste for seasoning - and add more salt if necessary. 

Top with the pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Enjoy!