Roasted Delicata Squash and Wild Mushrooms with Sherry Maple Gastrique

Crunch, salt, sweet, rich, fall flavors are intertwined in this amazing side dish while taking advantage of the wild mushroom season here in the Pacific Northwest. I  love Fall... everything about it...scarves, boots, leaves changing, crisp cool days- and mostly the oven roasting away. Roasted squash is by far one of my favorites, the sweet tender flesh (is this inappropriate verbiage?) leads itself to countless recipes- mix with hearty wild mushrooms, bold blue cheese, sweet sherry & maple and toasted almonds; heaven is here.

With Chanterelle season upon us it is hard to believe that just two years ago I fell out of love with mushrooms, loving them my whole life I was shocked and surprised. Has that ever happen to you, one day you just wake up and dislike something? Up to this point is had been the opposite for me- blue cheese, mustard, olives- one day I just feel in love. How had I fallen out of love with mushrooms,  would my love affair return to me?

Oh yes my love affair is back; and it is fair to say that  pure despair is what it brought mushrooms home. Living in the Pacific Northwest mushrooms are everywhere;  restaurant menus are exploding with them, farmers markets, in my kitchen-my neighbors kitchen, probably your kitchen- the NW is spoiled with these little fungi. Here is my favorite dish with an old love and all the flavors of my favorite season fall. I submitted this recipe for the latest contest at Food 52, wish me luck!

reduce sherry vinegar by half        mix in a maple syrup        drizzle the sweet gastrique

clean squash               save seeds for papitas

coat with olive oil and S&P

roast at 400F

Roasted Delicata Squash and Wild Mushrooms 

with Sherry Maple Gastrique

Sherry Maple Gastrique 

1/4 Cup Sherry Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1+ teaspoons water

Reduce sherry vinegar by half,  mix in maple syrup, take off heat and use water to thin if need be. Reserve gastrique for a later drizzle. 

Roasted vegetables, Blue Cheese, Almonds and Greens

1 each Delicata squash; cleaned and sliced into half moons (skin on)

2 cups Chanterelle Mushrooms; cleaned and torn

2 cups Maitake Mushrooms; cleaned and torn

2 cups Mixed Baby Greens (Kale, treviso, frisée...)

1/4 cup Blue Cheese

1/3 cup Almonds

1 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar

 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

splash fresh Lemon juice

Salt & Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Drizzle all mushrooms with a light coat of olive oil with S&P, roast in the oven till edges are browned

3. Drizzle squash with a light coat of olive oil with S&P, roast in the oven till edges are browned

4. Wash and tear baby greens, spin or pat dry

5. Chop toasted almonds, I like to use a hammer

6. Mix roasted veg and greens with 1 t sherry vinegar, 1 T olive oil, splash lemon juice and S&P to taste

7. Top with crushed nuts, crumble blue cheese and drizzle with gastrique

8. Eat and Enjoy