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Roast Pumpkin, Baby Spinach, Walnut & Fetta Salad with Rack of Lamb

11/8/2012

 
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Roast Pumpkin, Baby Spinach, Walnut & Fetta Salad - a celebration of market fresh produce
I'm a stickler for freshness and quality in food, especially having spent nearly ten years of my life working on site as promotions manager at a fresh produce market. That wonderful stint in my career taught me plenty about fresh and seasonal produce across the board: fruit and veg, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, cheese, bread, the works. 

With Capital Region Farmer's Market at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC) five minutes from our home, these days the farmer's market is the first port of call for Peter and I on a Saturday morning. Every visit for us is an enjoyable and exciting adventure, and celebration of what's on offer.
Lately there's a guy at EPIC who sells the most delicious and inexpensive pumpkins. His stall comprises a simple table lined with whole pumpkins, various sized wedges of freshly cut pumpkin and a giant knife (and a few potatoes). There is always a lineup for his pumpkins, which is good as there are plenty more pumpkins stashed in a mesh trailer behind the stall. I'm not exaggerating when I say that supermarket pumpkin is pale in comparison with these, and I mean that in every sense of the term. 
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Fresh pumpkin... supermarket pumpkin is pale in comparison, in every sense of the term!
With a good-sized whole pumpkin (say, four kilos plus) you have the makings of a few great meals; think risotto, fritatta, pizza, soup or a wholesome winter salad, such as the one featured in this snippet. Oh, and then there's pumpkin scones or (my favourite) pumpkin strudel, but that's another story. 
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Serve as a main meal for lunch or as an accompaniment to a tender rack of lamb
This roast pumpkin, baby spinach, walnut and fetta dish of mine is inspired by the sheer beauty and abundance of the ingredients available at the markets (and based on a takeaway salad I picked up recently from a cafe in the city). Forgive me for saying, but my version is much tastier. I could wax lyrical about it for the next 500 words, or simply allow the images and recipe to speak for themselves.

ROAST PUMPKIN, BABY SPINACH, WALNUT & FETTA SALAD
750g of pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces*
2 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and patted dry
1/2 cup fresh walnuts, halved+
2-3 tablespoons soft fetta
a little spray of light olive oil
juice of a lemon
EVOO, to drizzle
a little white pepper and sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Place the pumpkin pieces onto a tray lined with baking paper. Spray lightly with oil and season lightly with white pepper and sea salt. Roast for 25-35 minutes, then allow to cool slightly#. Layer the pumpkin, baby spinach leaves and walnuts in a serving bowl and toss gently with (clean) hands. Dot with the fetta, then sprinkle over the juice of a lemon and a drizzle of EVOO (don't overdo it, you don't want a soggy salad). Any leftovers should be refrigerated for lunch the next day. Serves 4. Serve as a main meal or as a side to a tender rack of lamb (see my simple but delicious recipe below).

*If you prefer not to peel the pumpkin, that's fine. The skin, when caramelised, can be delicious and is sometimes the best part! Take care when cutting pumpkin. As I'm not tall, I place the pumpkin onto a chopping board on a non slip mat on the kitchen floor and with a sharp knife (and keeping my feet out of the way), I slice wedges from the pumpkin as shown in this video.

+Toast the walnuts quickly in a hot pan if you wish, but take care not to burn them.

#Meanwhile, roast the lamb on the bottom shelf and now crank up the oven temperature slightly, just to finish off and caramelise the fat on the lamb. 

ROSEMARY, GARLIC & LEMON RACK OF LAMB
2 x 8 point rack of lamb
slices of lemon and lemon juice
sprigs of rosemary
EVOO
a clove or two of garlic
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Place the lamb racks on a lined baking tray. Place sprigs of rosemary and garlic cloves in between the cutlets, and slices of lemon onto the fat of the lamb. Drizzle with lemon juice, EVOO and season with sea salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated oven at 190-200 degrees C for about 25 minutes. Check the temperature of the meat with a thermometer. When it reaches 170 degrees it should be perfectly pink and ready. Allow the lamb to rest briefly before serving. Sprinkle over some of the lemony garlicky pan juices. This quantity will serve four.
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I could wax lyrical about this dish or simply allow the images and recipe to speak for themselves
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Lemons feature in much of my cooking

On lemons...

Lemons feature in much of my cooking and fortunately there are lemons galore at various stalls across the market. Again, there is a huge difference in flavour between supermarket lemons and those from smaller producers who sell home grown varieties. According to writer John Newton in Food, 'store-bought lemons have been picked while still green to prolong their shelf life and are then waxed to stop them from drying out!'. Meyer lemons are my favourite, when I can find them. Being a cross between lemon and orange they are sweeter in taste and have very smooth skin.
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Buy walnuts in quantity and store them in your freezer

On walnuts...

Pre-packed walnuts are all too often rancid, so I buy them in season from the Robertson family who sell their farm fresh walnuts at the Alpine Nuts stall. In the event that you can't find walnuts at your local market, Australian walnuts sold at health food stores are much better quality than the imported supermarket variety. Buy them in quantity and store them in an airtight container in your freezer.

The process in pictures...

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Finish off with Eastern Fetta, lemon juice and EVOO
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Check the temperature of the meat. When it reaches 170 degrees it should be perfectly pink and ready.

A note in closing: of course Peter and I shop at a supermarket for items that we can't buy at the farmer's market, but our visits are few and far between. The two majors can have their 'fresh food wars' as far as we are concerned. Other than grumbling about some pontiac potatoes (that had seen better days) on one occasion, we have never, ever had to take any food back to the farmer's markets for a refund! Wish we could say the same for colesworth!
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Martyna @ Wholesome Cook link
10/8/2012 03:21:27 pm

Looks fabulous! My type of salad Lizzy! Just bought walnuts today to coat in honey and serve with rocket. I would add pumpkin like you did but one of the guests does not like it...

Lizzy
10/8/2012 03:32:35 pm

Thanks Martyna! Walnuts coated in honey sounds divine. They are my favourite nuts.

Mrs Mulberry link
10/8/2012 06:14:23 pm

A beautiful combination of flavours and colours Lizzy!! Gorgeous to see lovingly created produce used in such a delicious way! I m with you on the myer lemons too - they are so perfect, but so hard to find ; )

Lizzy
10/8/2012 06:27:39 pm

Mrs M, thanks so much! I think I could eat this almost every day and not be sick of it! And I'm cheering with glee that Peter says he loves baby spinach! Woo hoo!!!!

Gustoso link
10/8/2012 09:21:41 pm

We call them collies. I can't tell the difference between the two, and yes I love to shop local at the markets.

Lizzy
11/8/2012 12:33:52 am

Good name! Thanks for stopping by ; )

A Canadian Foodie link
11/8/2012 07:38:01 am

What a fresh, flavourful, healthy and mouthwatering meal, Liz! OH MY! The photos SCREAM flavour and fresh! I do the same, as you know... supermarkets are good for toilet paper and soap - hehe... and nothing this good ever goes to waste like would happen with the half bruised lifeless food from them mega markets. As a winter climate, we must freeze and preserve a lot to eat this way... and I do buy fresh oranges, lemons and such which do not grow here, etc. But we try our best!
:)
V

Lizzy
11/8/2012 01:30:04 pm

Valerie, thank you. That's true, I find that supermarket produce is limp within a few days... cucumbers turn to mush, capsicums (peppers) shrivel. Whereas produce from the farmer's market lasts for weeks! I like your philosophy of freezing and preserving. That's why I love your blog!

Misky link
11/8/2012 09:24:44 am

We're not in pumpkin season yet but I'm going to try this recipe using yams or sweet potatoes. Yum!!

Lizzy
11/8/2012 01:28:01 pm

Great idea! Yummy.

Maureen link
11/8/2012 12:08:02 pm

I love this salad! It's one of my very favourites and that rack of lamb looks to die for good.

I'd be lost without access to fresh food markets and the ability to talk to the producers. We're pretty lucky up here.

Lizzy
11/8/2012 01:28:37 pm

Hi Maureen, we are too. I would be totally out of sorts if we didn't have our wonderful farmer's markets so close by!

Lisa Aherne
11/8/2012 02:16:27 pm

Yummy Lizzy! The salad is just what I will love to eat and what will help to lose some weight off this tubby bod of mine. I have trouble keeping feta, will look at getting some from my local deli rather than buying colesworth offerings.

Lizzy
11/8/2012 05:07:39 pm

Hi there Lisa! Sounds like a plan. How come you have trouble keeping fetta?

Eha
11/8/2012 04:41:13 pm

This must be the most appetizing winter salad I have encountered so far, and, wonder of wonders, I have everything ready to make it tomorrow. Thank you for the video of 'cutting a pumpkin' 'cause, I am certain, I buy less in that department 'cause my slim hands and wrists have a potentially dangerous interaction with said item! OK, lemons: I live in the S Highlands of NSW, Oz, and Meyers absolutely love it here :) ! I have a miniature [!} I planted some 18 years ago. It is now about 2-3 metres across and of the same height: it rewards my TLC with about 250-300 fullsized fruit every year - ie, I don;t have to buy from about May > November!!

Lizzy
11/8/2012 05:08:36 pm

My pleasure. Cutting pumpkin can be quite risky for some people, especially without a sharp knife and strength in your hands and ams. Your Meyer lemon sounds delicious! What a treat.

[email protected] link
11/8/2012 06:48:49 pm

I would love this salad some of my most loved ingredients and combination. I agree with you about Colesworth the killers of fresh produce and farmers welbeing

Lizzy
11/8/2012 08:16:14 pm

Pop over and have a bite to eat! Thanks for stopping by ; )

Mandy - The Complete Cook Book link
11/8/2012 11:14:05 pm

Heavenly!
:-) Mandy

Lizzy
12/8/2012 12:10:36 am

Thank you, angel xo

JohannaGGG link
12/8/2012 12:03:01 am

that salad looks lovely - I go to markets when I can but lately have been out of the habit as I have had so much else on my mind. But seeing your lovely produce really makes me feel the need to head out to the markets

Lizzy
12/8/2012 12:11:44 am

True, we can be very time poor, but think of the fresh quality in the produce you will buy and how good you feel having shopped at a fresh food market, whether it's a farmer's market or a smaller market style shopping centre!

Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy link
12/8/2012 12:28:17 am

We also rarely go to the supermarkets. There are a few items I do go in for and they never include fruit, vegetables, milk or bread. Since doing a Skipping the Supermarket challenge earlier in the year, I have found replacements for most products, or I make things from scratch. Your salald looks lovely Lizzy. I make a similar one often. I adore pumpkin in a salad and with beautiful lamb and fetta how can you go wrong?? Yum.

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:43:30 pm

Hello there Krystie! You are my kindred spirit from the sounds of things! I like the sound of the challenge you did! Would love to hear about your salad. ; )

InTolerant Chef link
12/8/2012 12:42:07 am

Can I come for dinner Lizzy? I love rack of lamb and the salad looks great! Fresh is always so superior, lucky to have access to such great markets and producers

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:44:10 pm

Bec, please pop on over.... actually, I should go to you, what with you being the chef! Aren't we so lucky to have great markets!

Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy link
13/8/2012 12:25:54 pm

Such a lovely and vibrant salad! Love pumpkin in anything!

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:44:26 pm

Anna, I do too!

Jane @ Shady Baker
13/8/2012 03:16:03 pm

This all looks sensational Lizzy. Love the pumpkin...that salad looks so good and the rack of lamb looks perfect too! Love your photos too. I nearly have all these ingredients on hand so I might be trying this soon. I agree, a farmer's market is such a better way to buy food for so many reasons!

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:45:27 pm

Hello Jane... the lamb was delicious... just look at that lovely fat on there. You certainly have all those ingredients on hand, especially given your home grown produce and your sheep farming.

The Food Sage link
13/8/2012 04:35:49 pm

That salad is a combination of some of my favourite ingredients, Lizzy.
I have a quarter of a pumpkin in my fridge waiting to be made into a Thai-style tomato & pumpkin curry. It's lovely. And vegetarian. And cheap. Perfect combo.

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:46:06 pm

Hello Rachel! Tomato and pumpkin curry sounds mouthwatering! Wow. I am a pumpkin fan from way back ; )

Jennifer @ Delicieux link
13/8/2012 09:56:10 pm

What a fantastic feast Lizzy! I love the roast pumpkin salad. It's the type of thing I love for lunch or dinner on a hot summers day.

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:46:28 pm

Jennifer, you are right. Like you, I could eat this for lunch or dinner.

Amanda link
14/8/2012 01:47:54 am

Lovely post, thanks Lizzy. Pumpkin, feta and walnuts are a marriage made in heaven and your lamb looks brilliant. I'm feeling very peckish now.

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:47:22 pm

Thank you Amanda! How are you getting along? Isn't it just a lovely marriage! You know, the lamb in the photos looks slightly overcooked, but it wasn't, it was just pefect!

Andrea J. Bartholomew link
14/8/2012 04:35:45 pm

Lizzy, this is a beautiful post and we can't wait to try making this gorgeous salad! Your process photos are really wonderful. Thanks for being a champion for fresh produce!

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:48:11 pm

Thank you Andrea for those very kind words. I am very pleased to be a champion of fresh produce. It may sound whacky, but I have for a long time felt it is my calling in life. ; )

e / dig in link
15/8/2012 05:06:15 pm

this is amazing - yesterday at a training course i had the most delicious roast pumpkin salad with feta - slightly different to yours as it also had roast beetroot, and instead if walnuts, puy lentils and pepitas. catching up with your site now really means i have to make this kind of salad! thank you

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:48:48 pm

Now, that salad of yours with the lentils, pepitas and beetroot sounds delicious. Thanks for visiting!

Christine (FoodWineTravel) link
16/8/2012 08:45:40 pm

We often make salads like this one and they are always a great success. Such a lovely fresh, healthy way of eating.

Lizzy
16/8/2012 08:51:39 pm

I agree... I think I could eat salads of this ilk every day of my life!

Pam
23/8/2013 12:32:09 pm

Salad looks lovely but what is EVOO .I would love to know


Comments are closed.

    Welcome...

    Üdvözölöm
    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

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