Culinary Guides

This salad is all about contrast: sweet roasted butternut squash, salty feta, and peppery arugula, tossed while the squash is still warm so the cheese softens against the greens. It comes together with almost nothing in it, which is exactly why it works as a light lunch or an easy side.

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 ounce)
• 1 bunch (5 ounces) arugula, torn

Directions

Roast the squash

1. Heat the oven to 425F (220C).
2. Peel the squash, halve it, and scoop out the seeds. Cut into uniform 3/4-inch cubes.
3. Toss the cubes with the olive oil, coarse salt, and pepper and spread in a single layer in a roasting pan.
4. Roast 35 to 45 minutes, until fork-tender and golden at the edges, tossing halfway through.

Build the salad

1. While the squash roasts, wash and dry the arugula and tear it into a large bowl.
2. Add the warm squash and toss gently. Sprinkle the feta over the top so it softens slightly.
3. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, and finish with a little more olive oil or a squeeze of lemon. Serve while the squash is still warm.

Grower's tip: Butternut keeps and sweetens after harvest. Leave the fruit on the vine until the rind is hard and cannot be dented with a fingernail, then cure it in a warm spot for a week or two before cooking; the flesh turns sweeter and roasts up richer.

A handful of toasted walnuts or pecans adds a nice crunch, and a pinch of cinnamon on the squash plays up its sweetness.

Both halves of this salad are easy growers. Plant butternut squash for fall storage and sow arugula in the cool months for peppery leaves all season.