The Salad, Fall Edition

Let's get this Fall food party started

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Watch me make the Fall salad on a (viral!) Instagram reel

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After writing an article called You Can’t Buy Hygge - where I take down the commercialization of Fall with all its wreaths and gourd decorations - I was a little concerned that some of my readers think I don’t like Fall.

I actually love Fall, not least because it’s a foodie paradise.

When it comes to being intentional with one’s food, seasonality is almost as important as waste. After all, being seasonal is cheaper (have you seen the price of out-of-season strawberries?) better for the environment, and better for you.

Fall has finally arrived here in Croatia (in the north of the country at least - in the south it’s still 75 degrees and warm enough to swim in the sea) and with it has my insatiable appetite for Fall-based salads.

I’ve talked about The Salad before - the most versatile of all dishes with infinite variations all of which contain a vegetable, a nut, and a cheese.

Today, we’re going all out on these salads, Fall-style which means warm and comforting. We’re not just talking one salad here, we’re talking six.

Boom.

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As I say, The Salad is based on a leaf or vegetable, a cheese and a nut. That’s the basics (omit the cheese if you’re vegan though, obvs).

During Fall, the best vegetables to look out for are:

• Squash or pumpkin

• Beetroot

• Carrots

• Kale

• Cauliflower

• Brussels Sprouts

I like to look for vegetables you can roast or griddle. Warm salads on cool days are where it’s at.

The cheese element is there to provide acidity and a punch of flavor so the best cheeses to go for are those with high levels of both. My favorites are:

• Feta

• Parmesan / Grana Padano

• Crumbly fresh cheeses

• Soft goat’s cheese

• Pecorino or Manchego

Apart from Parmesan, I tend to steer clear of hard cow’s cheeses with low melting points because they just go a bit weird and melty, especially if you’re making warm salads.

When it comes to nuts, the world is your oyster. My favorites are:

• Almonds

• Hazelnuts

• Walnuts

Almonds and hazelnuts are best toasted (I rarely bother toasting walnuts). Roughly chop them before adding them to the salad.

Finally, you’re going to want a dressing. I like to keep mine simple and sharp to counteract the sweetness of the roasted vegetables.

My go-to recipe is a one-to-one ratio good quality olive oil to vinegar. Many people say three to one, heavy on the oil, but I find that this makes the dish too oily. And you don’t need so much oil if the vinegar is good quality (the crap stuff is barely worth it IMO).

I also often substitute vinegar for lemon juice, also using a one-to-one ratio. The best thing to do is to start 1:1 and add more oil if you want to. Mix quickly to emulsify. And don’t forget to season.

Assembly

Vegetables on a platter. Pour over the dressing until it looks suitably…dressed. Sprinkle the nuts and finish with the cheese - as much as you like of each.

Dietary restrictions

If you’re vegan or allergic to nuts, there is no reason why you couldn’t either omit the cheese entirely or use a vegan substitute. For the nuts, swap for seeds, or again, omit.

Classic combinations

Roasted carrot, fennel seed, feta, and walnut

Roast peeled and batoned carrots (about 2 inches long) at 180C / 350F for 30-40 minutes with a few fennel seeds (optional). Don’t forget to toss in oil and season before sticking them in the oven.

Roasted beetroot, orange, walnut and soft goat cheese

Peel and cut the beetroot into 2cm/1inch cubes. Roast in a little oil at 180C / 350F for 40-50 minutes or until soft. Use orange juice instead of vinegar in the dressing and add segments of orange to the plate, along with roughly chopped walnuts and small chunks of goat cheese.

Sliced brussels sprouts with almond and grated parmesan

Slice the brussels sprouts as fine as you can. Heat some oil in a frying pan or wok until medium-high heat. Add the slices and stir fry until softened (around 10-15 minutes).

Assemble with the usual dressing, chopped almonds and cover the top with mountains of grated parmesan.

Roasted squash / pumpkin with feta and almond

Peel and cut the squash into 2 cm/1inch cubes Roast at 180C / 350F for 45 minutes or until soft. To assemble… you know the rest of the drill by now.

Shredded kale with hazelnut and pecorino

Take washed kale leaves and shred as thin as you can. Heat some oil in a frying pan or wok until medium-high heat. Add the kale and fry until soft (around 5 minutes).

Add your hazelnuts and shave pecorino on top using a vegetable peeler.

Raw cauliflower with hazelnut and pomegranate

OK a little bit different here with the addition of pomegranate and no cheese but hey, that’s the beauty of these S+S recipes - they’re flexible.

Grab half a head of cauliflower and cut into large florets. Use a sharp knife to cut the florets into thin slices. Mix in a bowl with the usual dressing and pomegranate seeds. Top with chopped hazelnut.