This New York Times recipe would work with either your butternut or your delicata. Did I mention I put delicata into a risotto this week? We had a butternut squash risotto recipe to test and I decided to save myself the work of peeling a butternut by using last week’s delicata. A good scrub, remove the seeds and the squash is ready to cook. Roasted with a little brown sugar, then stirred into a classic risotto with some cream – it was the perfect foil for sweet fresh Georgia seafood.
But I digress. Try this salad where the dates bring out the sweetness of the squash. And no cooking!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds young butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded (or use your delicata and save yourself the peeling) 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice, more as needed 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of granulated sugar Fine sea salt Freshly cracked black pepper 1/2 cup dates, pitted and roughly chopped 1/4 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkinseeds
Preparation:
Cut the squash into 2-inch chunks. Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, shave the chunks into thin slivers.
Place squash shavings in large bowl and add lemon zest and juice, olive oil and sugar. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper and toss to coat. Macerate for 10 minutes, or until shavings tenderize (this could take up to 30 minutes, and once tender you can hold them for up to 6 hours). Toss with dates and season to taste with more salt and lemon juice.
Pour buttermilk into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Smear the buttermilk on a serving platter and top with shaved mixture. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.