French Fall Vegetable Salad (V)

Cooking skills focus: Knife skills, sautéing/caramelizing, roasting, balancing flavors

Ingredients:

1 ½ # tomatoes, diced large (I know they aren’t seasonal, but they were cheap and available when I went shopping)

2/3 C red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 # yellow potatoes, diced large (3/4” on a side)

1 t Melange Classique spice blend (from World Spice Merchants)

salt & pepper TT

1 t cooking oil

2 acorn squash, sliced 1” thick and seeds/insides removed

salt & pepper TT

2 T cooking oil

1 ¾” Brussels Sprouts, sliced ¼” thick

1 T cooking oil

2 bags braising greens mix

3 T olive oil

2 cara cara oranges, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

4 t Melange Classique spice blend

salt & pepper TT

2 avocados, medium-diced

Instructions:

1. Toss the tomatoes with the red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and set aside until the end.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the potatoes with the first 2 T cooking oil, salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside when done.

3. Meanwhile, coat the acorn rings in the next 1 t cooking oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and soft. When done, remove the peel and cut into large cubes, then set aside.

4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the next 2 T cooking oil. Add the Brussels sprouts and begin to caramelize for 10-12 minutes, or until browned and tender.

5. Heat the sauté pan again over medium-high heat, Add the last of the cooking oil, then add the braising mix and briefly brown for 5-6 minutes.

6. Combine all ingredients (remove the tomatoes from their marinade) except the avocados, then add the avocados at the end so they don’t get too mashed up.