(serves 4)
1 small gold or red beet
1 carrot
1 parsnip
½ onions
6 Brussels sprouts
½ butternut or acorn squash
½ sweet potato
2 oz. spinach
4 slices crusty bread
2 oz. Old Kentucky Tomme or Fleur de la Terre
½ C toasted pumpkin seeds or favorite nut (pecans, walnuts, etc.)
1 vinaigrette recipe using apple cider vinegar and pumpkin seed oil
3 T olive oil
½ bulb fennel slice very thinly
Method:
- Peel the carrot and parsnip and slice on a bias into ¾ inch chunks
- Wash the beet and place in aluminum foil with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and place in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour. Remove and let cool in the foil. While still a little warm peel and slice from top to bottom into about 6 or 8 wedges.
- seed and peel the squash and cut into ½ inch slices, cut the Brussels sprouts in half
- Peel and slice the onion and sweet potato into ½ inch slices
- Preheat a sheet tray in the oven at 375 degrees.
- Put about 1 T of the oil down and heat for 1 minute.
- Place the squash slices on 1/3 of the tray and the onion a 1/3 and finally the sweet potato on the other 1/3 and roast for about 5-7 minutes a side for the sweet potatoes and the onion, maybe 10-12 minutes for the squash. You want them just cooked, not falling apart, just past al dente. Remove, salt and pepper and reserve
- In a hot sauté pan quickly caramelize the carrot, parsnip and Brussels sprouts separately, taking care not to burn. Place pan in oven for about 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are just cooked. Remove from oven and salt and pepper and reserve
- Make the vinaigrette substituting ¼ of the oil with pumpkin seed oil
- Lightly toast the bread slices, then arranged slices of the cheese on the bread.
To Serve:
- Place all the vegetables back on the sheet tray and place in the oven for 5-6 minutes until hot.
- place the bread with the cheese on it in the oven until the cheese melts
- In a large mixing bowl place the vegetables, the vinaigrette and the spinach and fennel, season and toss.
- Arrange the salad on top of the bread on the plates and serve warm
Courtesy: Restaurant Tallent
