Autumn Vegetables with Goat Cheese Crostini

By LeeBoruchow

This is a great dish that is perfect for Fall. Feel free to interchange other seasonal veg that you find - it all works.

Ingredients

• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/8 inch disks
• 2 parsnips, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch disks
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 leek, white part only, cut into 3 inch julienne
• 1/2 celery root, peeled and cut into fine julienne
• 1/4 pound mizuna, watercress or frisée
• (Optional: roasted mushrooms, sliced kohlrabi)
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons pumpkinseed oil
• 1/4 cup sage oil
• 1 crusty bread, sliced and grilled/toasted
• 1/4 pound fresh goat cheese or ricotta cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 475 F
Place the butternut cubes and chopped sage on a cookie sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and roast until light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside in a large salad bowl to cool.

Place the Jerusalem artichokes on the same cookie sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 6 to 7 minutes. Remove and set aside with the squash.

Place the parsnips on the cookie sheet and toss with the cumin and 1 more tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast for 6 to 7 minutes, then set aside with the other vegetables.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and set up an ice bath near the stove. Plunge the leeks into the boiling water and cook until tender 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the leeks from the boiling water and submerge them in the ice bath until cool. Remove the leeks from the ice bath, pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Add the leeks, celery root, and mizuna to the salad bowl. Dress with extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar, salt and pepper and toss gently to coat well. Mound the salad on each plate. Smear each baguette with a generous portion of cheese and place on top of each mound. Drizzle with sage and pumpkinseed oils.