Seasonal Salad with Warm Pumpkin Wedges and Honey Vinaigrette

This is a gorgeous composed salad, which means that it’s assembled on a serving platter instead of tossed in a bowl. I let the size and shape of the pumpkin guide how I carve it, such as into wedges or rings. 

I love to pair aged Gouda or Gruyere with pumpkin and other roasted orange vegetables, such as winter squash and sweet potatoes. These cheeses take on a lovely amber color and deeper flavor as they age, and (unlike Cheddar) melt well without separating. Look for them in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store. They keep for months, so you can buy a big wedge to use throughout pumpkin and fall cooking season. I usually grab my vegetable peeler to quickly shave off the amount I need for a recipe, or use the large holes of a box grater.

If you are craving pumpkin, but don’t have the time or ingredients to prepare the entire salad, just roast the pumpkin pieces to serve as a quick side dish, perhaps drizzled with a little maple syrup, sorghum, honey, or pomegranate molasses for a touch of sweetness.

Makes 4 servings.

For the Pumpkin Wedges

Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the pumpkin into quarters and remove the seeds and wet fibers. (If planning to roast the seeds, do so before preparing the rest of the salad. The recipe follows.) 

Cut the quarters into 1-inch thick wedges. Peel with a sturdy vegetable peeler. (Thicker skins might require more than one pass of the peeler.)

Place the wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle with vegetable oil and toss to coat. Stir together the sugar, pie spice, chipotle, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the pumpkin and toss to coat. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until tender and gently sizzling, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.

For the Honey Vinaigrette

Combine all of the ingredients in a jar. Close tightly and shake well. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature until needed. Shake well before serving.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Place the seeds and gloppy stuff in a medium-size saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring gently to loosen the fibers. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and remove any clinging fibers.

Measure the clean seeds and return them to the pan. For every 1/2 cup of seeds, add 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes, or longer if you prefer them more salty. Drain and blot dry.

Heat the oven to 400°F. Place the seeds on a baking sheet, moisten with a little oil, and spread them into  a single layer. Roast until the seeds are golden brown. This will take about 10 minutes for small seeds and up to 30 minutes for large seeds. 

Let cool on the pan on a wire rack, stirring occasionally. Serve whole or by cracking the outer shell to remove the inner seed. These are best served warm while they are their most crisp, although they are still good at room temperature if enjoyed the same day. The outer shells tend to get too chewy over time.