Page 27 - October 2020 proof - The Castle Pines Connection

Culinary Corner 27
enough to nd a few tasty heirloom tomatoes (the last of this year’s crop) to toss into this beauty, but regular old grape or cherry tomatoes from the grocery store would be nice here too. Feel free to swap the summer squash for a more autumnal choice like butternut or Hubbard if those look better when you’re at the market. If cucumber isn’t your favorite, celery would add nice texture and crunch.
In addition to being delicious, the vibrant colors of this salad make it a visual feast, so it’s a natural choice for an evening of entertaining. It is good warm or at room temperature, so if it sits on the buffet for a bit, it will be none the worse for wear. It’s delicious with chicken or sh, or even with just a crusty piece of bread, if you’re eating light. Make a double batch and tuck the leftovers in the fridge for a savory, healthy lunch.
Warm temperatures are gone for now, and the season of cozy dinners by the re has begun. With this dish in your repertoire though, you can keep just a little bit of the abundance of summer on the table while also welcoming the avors of fall.
Roasted fall veggie salad
Article and photo by Lisa Crockett
It’s a transitional time of year. Shorter days and changing colors signal the end of one season and the beginning of another, and with this change in the weather, I nd myself shifting gears in the kitchen. Grilled meats are replaced by hearty stews and warming soups. Baked goods fresh from the oven are suddenly more appealing than goodies from the freezer. While I still want lots of vegetables on my table, the idea of eating things raw is less enticing than the mixture of sweet and savory that comes with applying a bit of heat.
For the last few years, I’ve all but given up on steaming
and sautéing produce. Roasting brings out the best in so many veggies, particularly the ones that might otherwise
be unpalatable to all but the most health conscious among us. In a very hot oven, Brussels sprouts go from bitter and disappointing to crispy and somewhat sweet. Broccoli becomes more tender, and zucchini takes on a hearty, almost meat-like texture. My favorite strategy for roasting is to coat the vegetables in just a whisper of oil, which conducts heat without adding lots of fat and calories. Using my roasting method, I’ve converted even some of my most vegetable- hating friends and family members to hard-core vegetable consumption.
This salad, which I’ve adapted from a recipe shared by the BBC, takes the tastes of late summer and marries them with the avors of early fall. Additionally, it combines roasted vegetables with raw ones, which creates interesting texture combinations and brings together the best offerings available during this in-between season. There are some other unique pairings I wasn’t sure I would like, but the mixture of basil with olives is sweet, salty and delicious. The apple cider vinaigrette is mildly acidic, which plays up the avors of all the ingredients and adds a warm, savory element. I was lucky
Fall Vegetable Salad with Apple Cider Dressing
• 2 cups baby carrots, halved lengthwise
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 1 crown broccoli, chopped into
individual florets
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 medium tomatoes, any variety,
diced
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1⁄4 cup sliced black olives
• 1 chopped cucumber
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped basil
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar • 1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
Place carrots, zucchini, yellow squash and broccoli in a zip-top bag with
the canola oil. Seal the bag and shake vegetables vigorously to coat. Grill veggies on an outdoor grill, in a stovetop grill pan, or in the oven (heated to 450 degrees) until they are tender but not completely soft. Combine warm, roasted vegetables with tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, olives and basil. In a separate small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, sugar and oil, shaking or whisking to combine. Pour mixture over vegetables and toss. Serve.
Welcome back, indeed. We are thrilled for the return of the E Guide – all things Eating, Entertainment and Events.
Starting this month, and back by popular demand, the E Guide insert will spotlight a new food or beverage establishment every month, in addition to featuring lots of restaurants and activities for our active Castle Pines community.
October 2020
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