fall harvest kale salad

harvest season

The late season abundance of apples, squash, and kale inspired this fall harvest kale salad. A maple mustard vinaigrette ties together this salad’s sweet and tangy flavors.

ingredients for fall harvest kale salad

• apples: Go for a crisp sweet-tart apple. Crimson Crips, Crispin, Empire, Jonagold, Jonamac, Macoun are some of my favorite sweet-tart New York apples. Pink Lady is my favorite grocery store variety. Apples are one of the crops most sprayed with pesticides. So wash your apples well unless you know they were grown without pesticides.
• delicata squash: Other winter squash varieties can be used in place of delicatas, but they will require the extra effort of peeling.
• kale: Though tough in the heat of summer, kale becomes tender and sweet as the temperatures drop in autumn. For best flavor use kale harvested after a cool night, ideally after a frost. I prefer the texture Red Russian or Tuscan varieties in kale salads and save curly kale for soups and stews.
• pumpkin seeds: For ease, I used store bought roasted unsalted pepitas. But you can save the delicata (or other winter squash) seeds to clean and roast, and give this salad an additional homemade touch.
• maple mustard vinaigrette: a sweet and tangy vinaigrette with the usual ratio of vinegar to olive oil reversed. This extra acidity and tang helps tenderize the kale and balance out the sweetness from the maple syrup, apples, and roasted squash.
• goat cheese– blue cheese or tangy feta would be great in place of goat cheese in this salad. Or leave it out to make the salad vegan.

delicata squash

A couple of weeks ago, my partner brought home a laundry bag full of delicata squashes leftover from a research plot. Delicata is one of my favorite squashes, not only for it’s sweet flavor but also because of its thin edible skin, so no peeling required. Though, its thin skin makes it more susceptible to rotting than other thick-skinned winter squash varieties. Because of this, delicatas should be the first of the winter squashes to eat up in the fall.

To work through our immense delicata harvest, we’ve been slicing up three delicatas at a time to roast in the oven. Then there’s always some squash ready in the fridge ready to be thrown into a salad or pasta. Simply give the squashes a good wash to remove any dirt, slice the squashes into halves, and scoop out the seeds. Slice each half into 1/2 inch thick half-moons. Then toss the slices with olive oil and salt, and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven at 425°F for 25-35 minutes, until the flesh is sweet and creamy with a crisp and well-browned underside.

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fall harvest kale salad

This fall harvest kale salad is inspired by the late season abundance that thrives in upstate New York in the fall- apples, squash, and kale topped with a sweet and tangy maple mustard vinaigrette.

Course: Salad

Servings: 4

Author: Beet Season

Ingredients

• 1 delicata squash
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided plus more to taste
• 1 bunch kale ideally Red Russian or Tuscan varieties
• 2 crisp and sweet-tart apples see note for my favorite varieties
• 4 oz goat cheese crumbled
• ¼ c roasted unsalted pepitas
• 1 recipe maple mustard vinaigrette

maple mustard vinaigrette

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

• First roast the squash: Preheat oven to 425°F. Halve and deseed delicata squash, composting the seeds or saving for another use. Slice squash halves into ½ inch thick half-moon slices. Place on baking sheet and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and ½ tsp salt. Arrange slices in a single layer and roast for 25-35 minutes, until the squash is soft and the bottoms are well browned.
• As the squash roasts, make the vinaigrette and dress the kale: combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar and shake until emulsified. Derib and slice the kale into thin strips and place in large salad bowl. Pour ¾ of vinaigrette and ½ tsp of sea salt over the kale. Using clean hands, massage the the kale for about 1 minute, until slightly wilted. Place aside until squash is finished cooking.
• Once squash is finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool slightly as you core and thinly slice the apples. Top the dressed kale with squash and apple slices, crumbled goat cheese, and pepitas. Toss. Pour remaining vinaigrette over the salad, taste, and add more salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

-Crimson Crips, Crispin, Empire, Jonagold, Jonamac, Macoun are some of my favorite sweet-tart New York apples. Pink Lady is my favorite grocery store variety.

-If you plan on making this in advance, prepare and combine all ingredients expect the apples, and store in the refrigerator. Slice and top with apples just before serving.