Roasted Squash, Chile, and Mozzarella Salad Recipe
A peek at spreads from The Kinfolk Table, the new cookbook from Nathan Williams celebrating small gatherings. From it I made a Roasted Squash, Chile, & Mozzarella Salad tangled with spicy arugula.
This gem, The Kinfolk Table, arrived on my doorstep on Friday. I carried it straight up the stairs, down the long hallway, and into the kitchen where we started cooking from it on the spot. Sam Wylde's Roasted Squash Salad was first, along with Nathan & Katie's Citrus Lentil Salad. This is a 340+ page book, even more beautiful than expected, celebrating why it can be so good to sit down at a table and share a meal with others. A simple meal. And there is an effortlessness to the cooking throughout, a nice overall vibe, with recipes that are approachable, delicious, often beautiful, but not-at-all fancy or fussy. I'm sure many of you will have a chance to page through it in the coming weeks, but in the meantime take a peek at a few of the spreads (photos throughout the book are by Parker Fitzgerald & Leo Patrone, design by Amanda Jane Jones). I share the Roasted Squash, Chile, and Mozzarella Salad down below.
The way the book is organized, you get a glimpse into the homes of a range of home cooks - musicians, writers, editors, florists - and they share recipes and inspiration from their tables. Beautiful preparations from a spectrum of individuals, from a range of places.
The roasted squash salad is simple to pull together, and the chile-garlic-thyme combination is a crowd-pleaser. Dare I say, dial up the chiles, particularly if you use a varietal that is flavorful without too much heat. I make a couple suggestions in the head notes down below....
Congratulations Nathan and the Kinfolk crew - also loved seeing so many friends and familiar faces (xo Nick Fauchald, Laura Dart, Sarah Britton, Sara & Hugh Forte, Julie Pointer) throughout the pages - hi all, hope to see each of you in person soon! xo -h
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Roasted Squash, Chile, and Mozzarella Salad
Your choice of chile is up for grabs here. The recipe was contributed to The Kinfolk Table by restauranteur Sam Wylde who uses 2 teaspoons of Urfa chile flakes for their smoky, tobacco notes. *I used three slivered dried mulato chiles, and loved it. Any smoky dried chile peppers (not too hot/spicy!) should do well here.
2 medium delicata squash, scrubbed, sliced lengthwise, and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2-3 dried chiles, slivered*
2 fresh thyme sprigs, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
One 8-ounce ball of buffalo mozzarella
4 cups arugulato serve: slivered scallions, herb flowers (opt.), olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the center.
Slice the delicata squash into 1/2-inch thick crescents. Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, garlic, chile, thyme, and salt. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until tender. Flip the squash once along the way to ensure browning on both sides of the squash. Transfer the pan to a rack, allow to cool for a few minutes, and transfer the squash to a serving bowl or platter (I noticed in the book they tossed this salad straight on the baking sheet - brilliant. p.170).
To serve, toss the arugula with the squash with a splash of olive oil. Toss until nicely coated, then pull the mozzarella ball apart, and gently toss it with the squash as well. Season with more salt if needed, and finish with some slivered scallions if you like.
Serves 4.
Adapted from The Kinfolk Table by Nathan Williams, published by Artisan October, 2013.
Prep time: 5 minutes - Cook time: 25 minutes
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I used the idea of this salad to make one of the most delicious pizzas I’ve ever had: marinated the squash with thyme, lots of chili and even more garlic, roasted it & put it on dough with mozzarella and some preserved lemon. I added the arugula after the oven. Such a wonderful combination, thank you for posting!
HS: Love hearing it! Sounds amazing.
This looks like a wonderful recipe for those of us who are eating mostly low carbs. It has all of the nutrients needed, interesting ingredients and looks like it would be tasty. I am going to try it soon.
This looks delicious- look forward to trying it.
Made this for supper tonight with Thelma Sanders squash that my husband grew for Farmers Market. Loved it! I could eat this every day.
When my copy of Kinfolk Table, I poured a glass of wine, and drank up both. This weekend, while away from home staying with friends, one recipe lingered in my mind and I had the desire to share. Even though I didn’t have the book to follow from, I made the steamed fish and couscous with kimchi. I think that is what is so beloved about Kinfolk: that the imagery and words enrapture, create an impression, and then can’t help but become an expression, whether it is creating a recipe or living a moment.
Cheers to Kinfolk; I would also like to say that your blog (and your own lovely book) have the same effect on me. Thank you for your beautiful work.
HS: Thanks Marie Frances!
I just flipped through this book over the weekend at my mum’s house. She reminded me *several* times that I wasn’t allowed to take it with me. This is a great recipe! I’m so glad you posted your take on it. I think I’m going to add beets to my version – tonight! (and your bowl is adorable).
Yesterday I finally found Delicata squash. You have used it in your book and every fall I check Whole Foods and Central Market and was never able to find it. Yesterday it occured to me to check a small farmers market we have and sure enough, they had it. And its delicious. I used regular red pepper flakes and they work fine.
The book looks like a must have for my collection.
Delicata squash is one of my favorites especially since you can eat the skin. I am just beginning to experiment with different types of chilis so I look forward trying a new way to get a little heat in this delicious sounding salad. Thanks for the beautiful pictures and review of the book.
How lovely. I’m trying this tonight with zucchini and eggplant because that’s what’s in my fridge. and some baby arugula just shooting from the balcony garden. Yum
I want to make this but I’m nervous about the chiles! When I want to add spice to a dish I usually stick to red pepper flakes…sometimes jalapenos. Any advice? How spicy is a dried chile really?
HS: It depends on the chile Leah – take a taste, and then go based on that. 🙂 Or opt for chile flakes if you’re more comfortable cooking with them.
I just made this with dinner tonight with arugula from our CSA box and it was delicious! Even my husband, who was skeptical, loved it. The chiles were perfect: a little heat, but not too spicy. The delicata squash was great, too, a little sweet, with nice texture of the skin. Thanks for sharing the deliciousness 🙂
I love new and interesting ways to use squash. I may have to put this on next week’s menu!
It’s amazing how much serenity those pictures convey. It’s like a zen experience in a cookbook.
Wow, this looks amazing! Simple and quick but looks truly delicious. I will be pinching this for the weekend x
Interesting. Didn’t know Kinfolk had a cook book, but the salad looks great. We went pumpkin picking this week on a farm that also had squash picking. Right now I’m waist deep (and thankful) in squash. This is going to be a must try.
What a gorgeous book! Thank you for sharing photos and this delicious looking recipe!
Kinfolk is going onto my never-ending list of wishlist cookbooks 🙂
Hi Heidi.
Thanks, just made this as an impromptu lunch for my mother and I – so delicious, healthy and super quick! Gotta love Kinfolk!
All the best from Suffolk, UK.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing! I was wondering if you would recommend (for some low cal) replacing mozzarella by ricotta or mascarpone? Thanks!!
Question … it looks the skin stays on the squash in the plated salad – do you peel off as you eat?
HS: Hi Caroline – on a squash like this one, I go for it! It’s tasty, especially the bits that have become nice and roasted.
Chilis are something I haven’t really experimented with outside of chipotles, and I don’t really know what I’m waiting for! Although, I have tried and loved your sauce made with garlic and chilis de arbol from your first cookbook and fell in love.
You had me at delicata squash, I’m excited to try a version of this!
OMGREAT BRITAIN. I WANT IT!
Made this for dinner tonight (only substituting smoked paprika for the dried chiles). Great flavor combinations!
My mom convinced me to make this tonight (I’m no lover of squash so I didn’t look twice at the post) and it was AMAZING! We all loved it.
Inspiring! For dinner I roasted the squash as in the recipe, but served it with arugula over farro spaghetti and a tiny splash of balsamic. Fantastic! Love the sweetness and dense flesh of Delicata squash, and it looks so pretty halved and sliced with it’s lacy edges.
Tasty pumpkin ,sweet pomegranates ,and pinenuts ,in season here in CYPRUS ,,Mediterranean. Will be making this salad ,for sure.Some toasted pinenuts,will be added with aromatic heat from paprika,to bring in some zing,and a shower of pomegranate for sweetness .
Looks lovely and keen to order a copy online.
Does the book offer metric equivalents along side the imperial measures? It’s such a hassle to cook from books that don’t offer both measures in the one practical place.
I can’t wait to get this book and cook from it! Now I know what to wish for Christmas. So very excited.
Heidi,
This post and beautiful recipe speaks to me greatly. I’ve been shifting towards more simplicity in my cooking. I’ve never had the pleasure of reading Kinfolk but its certainly on my to do list now. What a fantastic way to celebrate the squash in all its fabulousness xxxx
Be still my heart! I love squash on greens but never thought to add mozarella! YUM! thank you again!
Heidi, looks beautiful. Here in NZ it’s spring now but lots of buttercup squash (my favourite) still around and I have fresh buffalo mozarella at local market each Sunday. It’s a done deal for this weekend.
oh, I like the way to make, so easy but delicious
I am really excited to adapt this recipe to fit paleo autoimmune. Perfect fall salad. Delicata is like candy! Go Kinfolk! Thinking of you with the finally-it-is-summer-in-sf…xo
This looks beautiful. I’m wondering about the garlic, though. It says to smash it which I interpret as being squashed but still all in one piece (or maybe a few very big pieces.) After roasting, does it get tossed in with the salad, too? I worry about someone receiving a whole clove or a very large chunk of garlic and it being too much. Or maybe the roasting softens/sweetens it enough?
I mean, the salad looks awesome too but where did you get that bowl??? It is gorgeous!
HS: Neighborhood flea market find – I think it was $3 🙂
I love such simple to prepare and delicious meals like this! The books sounds and looks lovely, can’t wait to peek into a copy!
I love this salad, I made it myself several times but I use ricotta or feta cheese spindled on top and let it melt a bit in the oven…. Too good!!!! I’ll try with mozzarella, of course. The book is on my wish list… 😉
The salad and the book look fabulous! Can’t wait to dive into both.
This looks like a gorgeous book and the recipe sounds delish. Always looking for new ways to use squash during the winter months. Cheers!
hello heidi, right now i’m anxious for my copy to arrive.. expectations are high!! meanwhile the salad looks beautiful and it is perfect for the season, i’ll make it with kabocha squash i think. thanks for sharing!
HS: You’ll love it Chika – well worth the wait.
Hi Heidi, I have been a fan of Kinfolk since the first volume (and have enjoyed reading your contributions). I can’t wait for this one to arrive on my doorstep, as well. The salad looks delicious, and I now have a sure plan for my delicata squash. Thank you, as always, for your inspiration!
Wow, the pictures in there are gorgeous… and the food looks delicious, too! Thank you for sharing!
It really is even better than I expected. Spot on when you called the recipes “effortless”…I LOVE that about the whole book. A tough thing to pull off. Hope all is well, miss!
What a lovely dish to celebrate a beautiful book!
It’s so cold and rainy today in the mid Atlantic region, I just finished my yoga class and I’m so relaxed and it just topped off my morning to see your email and the new cook book recommendation. I look forward to your entries each time they grace my mailbox. You are such a warm and lovely spirit and I’m so grateful to receive your info.
P.S
I just bought the cookbook and can’t wait to try it. Keep inspiring us- you make the world a better and more delicious place..
which makes me forget about the darn government shutdown!
Beautiful, Heidi. Love the flavors in this!!
simply gorgeous. Delicata + mozz + chili…who knew!
Great recipe! I love switching over to fall salads!
Lovely recipe and what looks to be a lovely book! I will have to keep an eye out for it.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful, seasonal recipe. The book looks well put together, as well. I will be looking into both, in more detail.
Well, doesn’t that just look like autumn in a bowl? I think I know what I’m having for lunch today!
Hi Heidi this book looks gorgeous, thanks for sharing!
The recipe really inspires me, love roasted squash in every way and I think I’ll try this recipe with a wholemeal cous cous, as a main course…
kisses
Roberta
Definitely going to try this and definitely going to “dial up the chiles.” Thanks for sharing, looks like a beautiful book.
I love when you introduce us to new cookbooks! This one looks like a winner for sure!
I’m all over this – such a gorgeous salad!
I love it when a cookbook tugs at my soul and ends up being more than I expected. As it was for you, I have a feeling I’d feel the same way about The Kinfolk Table. The salad looks almost too gorgeous to eat (but not so much that I wouldn’t dive in).
I’ve been doing a sort of Italian-inspired version of this salad lately, with roasted eggplant and red pepper. This one looks so good, too, maybe with some salted pumpkin seeds scattered on top.
So pretty… I’ve never heard of Delicata Squash in South Africa, you reckon pumpkin or butternut would work just as well?
HS: Absolutely! Just roast whatever squash you choose until tender.
Oh my days, I am so excited for mine to arrive now. It looks beyond beautiful!
Your pictures are gorgeous 🙂
Lucy xo
is fantastic, can not wait to receive it!
Oh, I just love the look of this (and anything Kinfolky)! Succulent mozzarella, with the sweet squash, some heat, and the peppy arugula. I am thinking of adding a few toasted pumpkin seeds too, for a little extra crunch. Thanks for all the gorgeousness once again! Xo
I am very excited for this beautiful book to be released, so thank you for sharing a few snapshots! It just looks stunning.
Gosh, this looks amazing! I’m a real sucker for anything with roasted squash in it! Will be trying it out my Italian friends!
I can’t wait to see this book! I’ve seen it everywhere and now that you’ve given it your 101Seal…I want it and all of your ceramics. 🙂
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