Fall Recipe Feature: Acorn Squash Salad

Acorn Squash Salad | Fairview Bar & Restaurant | Lake Louise, Alberta

Looking to try a flavourful appetizer that captures the essence of fall? This colourful Acorn Squash Salad will delight your taste buds.

"If you're visiting Lake Louise and want to sample the finest local and seasonal produce, this salad is what you're looking for. Every ingredient is Canadian. The Acorn Squash is from BC and the Organic Goat Cheese, Pickled Turnips and Microgreens are all from Alberta," says Chef Simon, Executive Restaurants Chef at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

"What I love about this salad is that all the flavors complement one another so well. By roasting the squash, you sweeten it. You have a little bit of a bitterness that's balanced with the acidic turnip. The greens offer some pepperyness. It's more of a hearty appetizer that's best enjoyed after an outdoor adventure in our backyard."

Try this salad at Fairview Bar and Restaurant as part of the Table d'Hote menu we are offering during the festive season. Or, follow this simple recipe to create this at home for those near and dear to you.

Ingredients:

Mixed green lettuce
1 Acorn Squash, quartered and de-seeded
1/4 pint Blackberries
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Nutmeg
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Pumpkin Seeds Dressing:
2 oz Goats Cheese
1 oz Sherry Vinegar
Canola Oil Pickled Turnip:
1 Turnip
1/2 tsp Mustard Seed
1 Bay Leaf (crumbled)
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Water

Method:

Season the Acorn Squash with a pinch of salt, pepper, nutmeg and olive oil.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.
To make the dressing, add the 2 oz of goats cheese into a bowl with a pinch of salt and 1 oz of sherry vinegar. Whisk together while slowly adding canola oil until desired consistency is reached and set aside.
To create the pickled turnip, 1/2" dice the turnip and set in a jar or bowl.
In a pan set to low heat, lightly toast the mustard seed and bay leaf, while adding 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp salt, followed by red wine vinegar and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil.
Remove pickling liquid from heat and submerge turnip (reserve some liquid for blackberries).
Cover with jar lid or plastic wrap to steep and cool.
To create the pickled blackberries, set 1/4 pint blueberries into a bowl and add half of the pickling liquid from the turnip.
Cover with lid or plastic wrap to steep and leave to cool.
Set a pan on low heat with pumpkin seeds, making sure to move the pan around periodically over 3-5 minutes to keep from burning.
Assemble all ingredients to your liking on a plate and enjoy!