Gray's Journal

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Chef Rollins' Baby Green Salad

Baby Green Salad With Roasted Butternut Squash, Cranberries, Crumble Goat Cheese and Walnuts in Sherry Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:
Dressing:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Salad:
1 cup crumble goat cheese
1/3 cup dried cranberries
8 cups baby mixed greens
1 1/2 cups of peeled and diced half inch butternut squash
2/3 cup walnuts, toasted

Directions:
Dressing:
1. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste
2. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Set aside.

Salad:
1. In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them.
Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to service the salad.
2.For toasting the walnuts, have your oven set on 325 and toast on a baking sheet for five minutes.
3.To assemble the salad, place baby greens, cranberries, and butternut squash in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter goat cheese, walnuts, and more cranberries over the top. Serve immediately

Chef's Tips:
The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. 
The nuts can also be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. 
The butternut squash and cranberries can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.

Walnuts can be substituted with pecans or any nut of choice.

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