This is a salad that rewards patience.  Give the vegetables time to roast slowly to perfection and a perfect cold-weather salad they will make.  Happily, however, patience doesn’t equate to time-consuming.  Once in the oven, the vegetables require little in the way of attention, just an occasional stir.  A great dish for potlucks and holiday meals.    

Ingredients

Instructions

3 cups leek rounds, about ½” thick (see notes)

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

½ to 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, at room temperature

Roast Leeks  Preheat oven to 325 (F).  Place leek rounds on end, in an 8 x 8” baking dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add just enough broth to cover rounds half way up their sides.  Bake a total of 1¼ to 2 hours, until leeks are tender and sweet but not mushy when tested with a fork.  About 45 minutes in to the cooking time, carefully flip leeks over, as best you can, so the tops can be braised in broth to avoid drying out.  However, by the time leeks are done, most of broth will be either evaporated or absorbed by leeks, which prevents them from being too watery when added to salad.)  

3½ to 4 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1” to 1 ½”  cubes  

1 Tbsp. olive oil

½ tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

Roast Squash  Pile squash pieces on cooking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss and rub with hands to coat evenly with oil.  Spread pieces across two cookie sheets, being sure to leave a little room around pieces (so they brown, rather than steam.)  Bake at 325 (F), until browned on bottom sides (about 30-45 minutes), then flip pieces and continue baking until browned on the other side (about 30-45 more minutes.)  If one pan is on the bottom rack of oven, switch it with the pan on the top rack for even cooking.       

1 head garlic

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

Roast Garlic  Rub garlic head with oil and place in a small baking dish or garlic roaster.  Cover dish, place in oven and bake at 325 (F) until soft and squishy when squeezed (about 45-60 minutes.)  

1 lrg. Granny Smith apple, diced to 1/2” (about 1 cup)

½ cup walnut pieces, toasted

Prepare Apples and Walnuts  When vegetables are almost done, cut apple and toast nuts.  Place in a medium-sized serving bowl.    

2 Tbsp. olive oil (good quality), divided

Pinch chili flakes

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1-2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (to taste)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Make Dressing  Into the same pan used to toast nuts, pour 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil.  Add chili flakes and warm over low heat for 5-10 minutes to flavor oil, then remove immediately from heat.  Stir frequently and watch carefully to prevent chili flakes from burning.    

Once garlic has roasted and has cooled enough to handle, squeeze meat into a small bowl.  Pour in chili-oil, along with remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and mash together with a fork.  Add vinegar, rosemary and salt and pepper and whisk lightly with fork to combine.  Taste and add more vinegar, rosemary, or salt and pepper, to taste.     

1 lemon

Additional apple slices and nut halves for garnish, if desired

Assemble Salad  When squash and leeks are done, add to serving bowl with nuts and apples and toss gently to combine.  Pour dressing over the top and toss again, very gently, to combine.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice (about 1 -2 Tbsp., to taste) over the top.  Garnish with additional apple slices and nuts, if desired.  

To Serve  This winter salad is best served at room temperature, so don’t worry if it sits while the rest of the meal is finished.  When actually serving, be sure to scoop from bottom of bowl to get some of the dressing which always sinks to the bottom.