Autumn's arrival: warm butternut arugula salad

ell, fall seems to have arrived. Early fall, but still, it's here. The heat of summer appears well past, and the shorter days are making an impact on the garden, too. Tomatoes are still ripening, albeit slowly, and the basil is in full harvest mode (I seem to forget what a time-consuming task that is. Every. Year.), but the winter squashes are just coming on, and the brussels sprouts too.

So, sad as I may be to say goodbye to the blueberries and nectarines, the ever-present watermelon and caprese salads, the summer squash casseroles and zucchini sticks, I wouldn't be me if I didn't dive headlong into the next buffet of flavors. And for my money, butternut squash makes the transition to early darkness bearable! My love of butternut squash in a salad has been noted in the past, so no surprise that I was ready to roast today.

The factor that really tipped this salad over to yumville was the dressing, which was an on-the-fly, what's-in-the-cupboard moment. I will make that again soon--it was just the right sweet and tang to go with the squash and cheese especially. The warm butternut wilting the arugula didn't hurt either... and the fact that I didn't have a proper breakfast so was dive-in hungry when I sat down to it...

Butternut arugula salad
Roasted butternut squash, warm from the oven
Washed and dried arugula
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Crumbled chevre (a late thought, you'll see the picture above seems a bit naked without it...)
Salt and pepper to taste

Sweet mustardy vinaigrette
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (I couldn't find honey in the cupboard but this did the trick really well)
Whisk all ingredients together until well emulsified.

Put two cups of arugula and a generous cup of butternut squash in a bowl. Pour dressing over, and toss to coat. Put salad on a plate and top with pumpkin seeds and crumbled goat cheese

Very enjoyable and a hearty kick-off to my favorite season of all!