DELICATA SQUASH SALAD WITH PRESERVED LEMON

By Ana Ortiz

Serves 2-4

The skin on delicata squash is thin and can be eaten. Ripe delicatas are cream colored and have dark green stripes. The quick-preserved lemons in the recipe are optional but worth it. You need to make them at least a day ahead. 

INGREDIENTS

2 medium delicata squash

olive oil

lemon

purple cabbage

castelvetrano olives

almonds, sliced or chopped

parsley

quick-preserved lemon (see below)

Maldon salt (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Cut the delicata in half, then cut each half lengthwise.
3. Scoop out the seeds.
4. Cut the squash in pieces— you can do half-moons or you can cut it into chunks. Choose whatever appeals to you aesthetically. 
5. Roast until the squash is tender— about 20 minutes.
6. While the squash is cooking, thinly shave about 1 cup of purple cabbage.You can add more (or less) if you like.
7. Toss the cabbage with lemon, olive oil, and salt to taste and allow it to wilt a bit.
8. Pick a handful of parsley. Split a handful of olives in half.
9. Remove the squash from the oven, allow it to cool a bit.
10. If using the preserved lemon, toss the squash with 1-2 Tablespoons of the lemon scooped out of the jar without any of the oil.
11. Top the squash with the cabbage.
12. Scatter the olives, almonds and parsley on top.
13. Drizzle with a little more olive oil (or the oil from the lemons!) and a little maldon salt.

QUICK PRESERVED LEMONS

This makes a bright, cheerful condiment that is good on so many things— roasted broccoli, a piece of toast with a slab of fresh mozzarella, pasta, in a salad, or as the base for a dressing. You will need a mandoline.

INGREDIENTS

1 unwaxed, organic lemon or Meyer lemon

½ cup Sugar

½ cup Diamond Kosher salt

Olive oil 

METHOD

1. Wash and dry the lemon.
2. Carefully slice the lemon on a mandoline.
3. If the lemon stops you from slicing it, see if there is a seed you might need to pull out.
4. It goes without saying but if you are getting close to the end of the lemon and are having a hard time slicing it, stop, you are done. 
5. Mix the sugar and salt and cover the lemon slices with it.
6. Let this sit in your fridge for a day.
7. The next day pour the mixture into a mesh colander and rinse vigorously until all the sugar and salt has dissolved.
8. Let the lemon drain for a few seconds.
9. Chop the lemon slices.
10. Place them in a small jar or container and cover with olive oil.
11. Store in the refrigerator. It will keep for at least two weeks (if it lasts that long).