Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Harvest Salad

November 2021. The dissertation first three chapters are done and submitted to Dr. Ochoa and she says they are strong. The data analysis chapters will take several more months. I can see the shape of the whole thing now, which I could not see at the beginning, and that is one of the specific satisfactions of long work: you get to a point where you can see all of it at once and understand how it fits together.

Thanksgiving prep. I am making the whole meal again. This is now simply what happens at Thanksgiving: I make the meal. Gloria directs and helps where she can and I do the cooking and James handles the turkey brine. This has been the arrangement for two years and it feels entirely right. I am the cook. She is the source. The source and the cook make the table together.

Card thirty-eight is the sweet potato casserole, which I have been making for years, but her mother version uses orange zest and a touch of nutmeg rather than the marshmallow topping I have always used. I made this version for the first time this week as a test. The orange zest lifts the whole thing, a brightness against the sweet depth of the potato. James tasted the test batch and said: this is better than the marshmallow kind. Gloria said: it is her mother recipe. He said: well. Marshmallows are fine but this is better. High praise from a man who liked the marshmallows.

The sweet potato casserole belongs to Gloria’s mother, and it is not mine to share—but what I can tell you is that testing it this week put me in exactly the right frame of mind for Thanksgiving cooking: the kind where brightness cuts through richness and something old becomes something you understand for the first time. This Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Harvest Salad captures that same feeling—the maple echoing the depth of the potato, the squash carrying the same soft sweetness, the whole thing lifted into something that belongs on a Thanksgiving table alongside whatever card-recipes your own source has passed down to you.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, divided
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped and toasted
3 cups baby arugula or mixed greens
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, finely minced

Instructions

Roast the squash. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Toss butternut squash cubes with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 25–30 minutes, turning once halfway, until tender and caramelized at the edges. Set aside to cool slightly.
Cook the quinoa. While the squash roasts, combine rinsed quinoa and vegetable broth in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.
Toast the pecans. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pecans 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from heat immediately.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and minced shallot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, roasted squash, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and arugula. Drizzle with the maple dressing and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving platter or bowl and scatter pepitas over the top.
Serve. Serve immediately as a side dish, or refrigerate undressed components separately for up to 3 days and assemble just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Harvest Salad — The Sweetness the Season Asked For