Use-it-all fall salad

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It is more important than ever that we consider why we should all be closed loop cooking. Root to stem practices reduce food waste and keep your dishes exciting. Approaching my kitchen with this in mind, I’ve been extra conscious about using as much of the whole plant as possible–there are so many ways to get creative with components that we might automatically compost! Besides being a fun challenge, low waste recipes bring extra nutrition, color and texture variety to your meals.

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use it all fall salad ingredients, squash, kale, potatoes
crispy potato skins

This use-it-all fall salad is a perfect recipe to get started with whatever produce you have on hand. The combination of sweet squash, earthy potatoes and melt-in-you-mouth romanesco is taken to the next level with crunchy squash seeds, crispy potato skins and lemon zest–all over a delightful bed of greens. Optional, but highly recommended lemon, garlic tahini dressing brings it all together. Sure to be a fall favorite, you can keep this easy, plant-based recipe in regular rotation.

Although these particular plants are featured in this recipe, I encourage you to experiment with whatever produce you have available. Leftover beet greens from making beet root soup? Use ‘em up here! Also feel free to switch up cooking methods for any of the ingredients–steam romanesco, air fry potatoes, whatever gets this salad on the table! Note: I used cooked greens here but have also included a variation for raw massaged kale.

If you want to get a head start, you can prep the tastiest toasted squash seeds before beginning the recipe, perhaps batch soaking / toasting all your squash seeds for the week.

What scraps are you turning into treasure this season? Let us know! #closedloopcooking

Use-it-all fall salad   by

This use-it-all fall salad is a perfect recipe to get started with whatever produce you have on hand. Sweet squash, earthy potatoes and melt-in-you-mouth romanesco with crunchy squash seeds, crispy potato skins and lemon zest–all over a delightful bed of greens.

makes: 2 servings | prep time: 10 min | cook time: 30 min | total time: 40 min

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use it all fall salad finished with squash seeds and tahini dressing

Ingredients

  • 1 delicata squash (approx 1 lb)
  • 3 medium potatoes (approx 1 lb, we used blue)
  • 1 small head romanesco
  • 1/2 bunch (approx 8 leaves) lacinato kale

Lemon garlic tahini dressing

  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp tahini
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • juice and zest of 1/2 lemon (approx 1 tbsp each)
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • toasted squash seeds (to top)

To-Do's

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Prep vegetables. Cut squash into 1/2” cubes (leave unpeeled.) Reserve seeds for making toasted squash seeds. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2” cubes, reserve skins. Cut romanesco, including leaves into florets. Finely chop kale, reserve stems (chiffonade is a good option here.)
  3. Toss squash, potatoes and romanesco each in olive oil, salt and pepper, keeping romanesco in it’s own bowl. Arrange potatoes and squash in a single layer with space in between pieces on a large baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes or until browned and tender. Halfway through cooking time add romanesco florets to the oven.
  4. To a medium pan, add 1-2 tsp olive oil. Once hot, add potato skins and season with salt and pepper. Pan fry until crispy, about 3 – 4 minutes. Set aside on a clean dish towel.
  5. To the same pan, add kale*, and kale stems. Sauté for a few minutes until wilted, adding a splash of water to pan if needed to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and set aside.
  6. In a small bowl, add tahini, water, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Use a fork and blend until smooth. (Blender optional.)
  7. Spread greens over a large serving platter. Arrange squash, potato and romanesco pieces on top, then add potato skins, toasted squash seeds, lemon zest, and dressing. Enjoy!
  8. Keeps well in the fridge 2 – 3 days.

Notes

*Massaged kale variation: skip cooking kale with stems and cabbage leaves, add 1 tbsp more water while blending the dressing, then pour the dressing over kale and massage for 3-5 minutes.
**Liquid amounts in dressing might vary depending on tahini consistency.

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