Blue Pumpkin, Chervil, Tarragon, Chives and Parsley
Pumpkin Salad with Roast Chicken and Fines Hèrbes
NOTES
Perfect way to use those decorative pumpkins and squash on your front porch. You can use any winter squash in place of blue pumpkin – kabocha would be the closest in texture and flavor. I used 1/4 of my pumpkin, so if you are working with a large squash, note that you will only use a portion of it for this salad.
RECIPE
DIFFICULTY
HARD
SERVES
4
PREP TIME
60 MINS
Chicken
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2lbskin-on boneless chicken breasts
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1tbsolive oil
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1-2clovegarlic
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1tspharissa
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1tspsea salt
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1tspbrown sugar
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cracked black pepper
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1tspground sumac for garnish
Pumpkin
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1smallblue pumpkin or Kabocha Squash
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1/2lemon
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4tbsolive oil
-
1tsppaprika
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1tspbrown sugar
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2tspMaldon Salt
Vinaigrette
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1tspred wine vinegar
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1tspSherry vinegar
-
1tsphoney
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3tbsolive oil
-
1tbschervil, finely chopped
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1tbsflat leaf parsley, finely chopped
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1tbstarragon, finely chopped
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1tbschives, finely chopped
POSTED UNDER
- halloween,
- new york,
- winter salad
Apparently in France, chervil grows rampant, sprouting up all along the side of the road. In my world, chervil is a delicate lacy green herb that I cultivate in abundance, but treat like green gold. I use it as garnish, mixed in with microgreens and scatter atop roasted vegetables and soups. It is delicate in structure and flavor (slightly anise-y), and one of three/four ingredients that make up the fresh French mixture referred to as fines hèrbes, alongside tarragon, parsley and sometimes chives. These were some of the last little men standing in my garden, so I harvested what was left and put them to good use.
This is the beginning of the long East Coast winter, where squash in its many forms become the foundation of my diet. This particular squash, a voluptuous heather grey pumpkin, has sat on my windowsill as ornament since Halloween (did you really expect me to buy a regular ol’ sugar pumpkin?). I wonder, do most people toss their decorative pumpkins after the holiday, forgetting that this is nearly 10 lbs of nutritious food? Cutting into this monster can be intimidating (I am not supposed to cut squash unattended, after I sliced through my tendon doing just such a thing in college), but today I went for it, and have eaten squash for every meal since. This recipe calls for a small portion of the massive pumpkin, so use the rest for soup or better yet, pie. I love eating the leftovers roasted with a poached egg on top for breakfast too.