Warm Salad Of Mushrooms, Butternut Squash And Feta On Toasted Brioche

A super fall mixture of flavors and textures team-up for the perfect sharing small plate.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Malcom Jessop

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into large dice
• 2 lbs. mixed mushrooms (Crimini, Portabella, Shitake)
• ½ cup hazelnuts
• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 9 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• ½ cup flat leaf parsley leaves
• ¼ cup chives, sliced
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 4 oz. Greek feta, crumbled
• 5 cups mixed leaves (Treviso, Spinach And Mache)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices toasted brioche

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place butternut squash into a large bowl together with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and mix well. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Place butternut mixture on a parchment-lined baking tray, and bake for about 25 minutes or until tender.
3. In a small bowl, combine shallots and the sherry vinegar with ½ tsp. salt. Whisk in 5 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
4. Toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes. Allow to cool and crush roughly in a mortar and pestle.
5. Slice or tear mushrooms into 2 inch pieces. Heat a large sauté pan and add the remaining olive oil and the butter. When butter is foaming add mushrooms and sauté until caramelized and crispy (you may have to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan).
6. In a large bowl, mix the salad leaves, herbs and sherry vinaigrette. Place a slice of brioche on each plate and top with the salad, mushrooms and butternut squash. Sprinkle the feta and hazelnuts on top and serve at once.

Please visit J. Lohr’s Recipes page for additional recipes and pairing ideas.