Winter Salad

November 21, 2017

The winter version of a panzella salad.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) loafrosemary or garlic ciabatta bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

3 tablespoonsolive oil, plus 1/4 cup

2 1⁄2 teaspoonskosher salt, divided

1 small (about 2-pound)butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)

4 mediumbeets (about 1 1⁄2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

3 mediumturnips (about 1 1⁄4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

4 mediumcarrots (about 3⁄4 pound), peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1⁄2 teaspoonblack pepper

1⁄2 cupVersatile Vinaigrette

4 cupsloosely packed arugula, mixed greens, or mizuna

4 ouncesgoat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

3⁄4 cupapple cider vinegar

2 tablespoonshoney

1 tablespoonDijon mustard*

2garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1⁄2 teaspoonskosher salt

1⁄4 teaspoonblack pepper

3⁄4 cupolive oil or canola oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400F. To prepare salad, toss bread cubes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until dry and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.

2. Toss together squash, beets, turnips, carrots, pepper, remaining 1⁄4 cup olive oil and 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt; divide between two rimmed baking sheets, and spread in an even layer. Bake until tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking. Cool completely on baking sheets on wire racks, about 20 minutes.

3. To prepare vinaigrette, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly, until smooth. (Note: You can use a food processor to combine the oil and the acid, but it’s easy to overprocess the liquids and they can become thicker than gravy. If the dressing gets too thick, add water to thin the dressing; do NOT add more oil, because that will only make the problem worse.)

4. Toss together bread cubes, roasted vegetables, and vinaigrette in large bowl until combined. Let stand 10 minutes.

5. Place arugula on platter; top with roasted vegetable mixture and sprinkle with goat cheese. Serve immediately.

*Most vinaigrette recipes call for some kind of mustard. It acts like a marriage counselor: It keeps two things together that don’t want to stay together.