Guest Post: Georgina Fuggle - Roasted Pumpkin with Freekeh, Chestnuts & Parsley

A few weeks ago Georgina from Fuggle Antics proposed a recipe exchange. Of course I jumped at the idea! It is a lovely way to meet get inspired, find new ingredients, add recipes to the repertoire and meet new people.  I have posted a recipe on her blog for a Tarragon and Apple salad and today she is posting a gorgeous fall salad recipe here. 

In addition to her beautiful blog Georgina has also published two books, Take One Pot & Take One Veg. Recently she has launched a line of produce inspired jewelry- Little By Little. 
Below, she shares her recipe for a bright autumnal salad. YUM!

The change in Seasons between the warm summer and dusky autumn always seems the

starkest of the four. Long days are squeezed into seemingly shorter hours, coldness bites

and our menus shift from vibrant citrus to a russet palette.

We’ve had change in our home. My husband has abandoned his long, disheartening

commute in favour of working closer to home so we have him for a more minutes in each day. Even these relatively few moments lift the atmosphere and make the days feel simpler

for me; I’m able to indulge in food a little more easily and have verve enough to cook for us

all.

My youngest baby seems only to eat orange food at the moment so he is in heaven with

October’s bounty of carrots, squash and pumpkin, I feel like I’m roasting them every day. So

this recipe is an ode to him, though I’m not sure what he would make of parsley and

freekah.

This salad is a flawless, auburn Autumnal number. Sweet pumpkin and chestnuts with sour

feta and plenty of fresh parsley. I’ve used a gorgeous blue pumpkin; they have a robust

flavour and a sweet sticky texture ideal for roasting. And Meet Freekeh – the Middle Eastern

grain that is stacked full of protein, very easy to make and has an unusual smoky taste when

cooked (once picked, the wheat is roasted over fire to burn away the husks). It is becoming

widely available and worth seeking out. But don’t panic if you can’t find it, use cous cous or

barley.

We ate this for dinner with nothing more than a glass of water and a bar of dark chocolate

for pudding. I hope you all enjoy it.

ROASTED PUMPKIN WITH FREEKEH, CHESTNUTS, FETA AND PARSLEY

PREP TIME – 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME – 40 MINUTES
SERVES – 4-6
INGREDIENTS
1 medium pumpkin, peeled and sliced into crescents
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp dried chili flakes

50g Freekeh (alternatively cous cous or barley)
1 onion, sliced

180g Merchant Gormet Whole Chestnuts, roughly chopped

100g Feta, crumbled

1 tbsp rosemary, chopped 

A handful of Parsley, leaves picked

FOR THE DRESSING:
2 tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200C, fan 180C, gas 6.

2. Arrange the pumpkin on two baking trays. Drizzle the 1 tbsp. olive oil over the crescents
and gently coat before sprinkling over the chili flakes. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes or until the crescents begin to caramelize. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

3. Bring a medium pot of water to boil and add the freekeh. Bring back to a boil, then cover
the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the grains are al
dente. Drain excess water and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in large frying pan over a high heat. Add the sliced
onion and fry for 2-3 minutes, until softened before stirring through the chestnuts and
rosemary. Continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes.

5. Get your dressing ready by whisking (or vigorously shaking) the crushed garlic, olive oil,
balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. Taste and adjust according to your pallet, this is the
moment to trust your own opinion.

6. Place the squash crescents in a large mixing bowl and add the freekeh, fried onion and
chestnuts. Add the parsley leaves and half the crumbled feta. Pour over the dressing and
very gently, mix with your hands until the ingredients are combined.

7. Arrange the salad on a platter, season with salt and black pepper and garnish with the
remaining crumbled feta and a few extra parsley leaves.

broad bean summer salad & a trip to the seaside

I am finding a feeling of connectedness to England through the food - not that that should come as any surprise - and more specifically the produce. England's offerings are impressive and yet simple. Berries, pears and apples grow wild here, yours for the picking. Beans, courgettes and tomatoes have ushered in a summer style of eating that is raw, clean, and simple.

 London seems to play everything close to the chest. I have really had to work hard here to discover the good markets, butchers, fish mongers and spice stalls, but I am finding them! - finally.  

A good part of this summer has been about the broad bean (favas as they would be called at home). Their bright green color and tender creamy texture is so easy to love. They have gone into risottos, been made into spreads and hummus, but my favorite has been this simple salad. 

Simple has been some what of a theme around here. Both of us are working hectic full-time jobs that required late hours and long days. Weekends have been precious and, in an effort to maximize those two days we have been taking simple, easy going excursions to some of Britain's seaside towns. 

They are the perfect getaway. Accessible by train, cups of coffee in the morning, a late breakfast in a new city & home to bed after dinner. 
Brighton was a recent day trip - nostalgic, slightly faded beach front and a vibrant little town waiting just up the hill. 

Up the hill from a sleepy beach front is a young, lively town full of winding streets, outdoor markets, shops and restaurants. 

Sitting for a while to take it all in - live music being played and big inviting picnic tables on which to sit, rich second cups coffee. Poking through shops and keeping an eye out for the perfect lunch spot - it was a carefree & easy day & just as summer should be 

for the salad

serves 2

about 1 1/2 cups of blanched, shelled broad beans

1 very small red onion or shallot 

3 tablespoons of muscat vinegar 

1 small head of romanesco broken into very small pieces 

3 or 4 strips of lemon peel, cut very finely into strips 

2 big handfuls of pea shoots - or other micro greens

10 or so small - medium mint leaves 

10 or so sprigs of flat leaf parsley 

olive oil (i used a beautiful orange infused oil - go for one that has sweet floral notes)

the freshest ricotta 

salt & pepper 

chop an extra small red onion (or shallot) very finely, just cover with muscat vinegar and set to the side 

peal and blanch the broad beans (there is something nearly therapeutic in this task). after blanching, i like to remove the tough light green outer pod to reveal the gorgeous colors you see below. 

break apart the romanesco into very small pieces - they are sweet and crunchy and raw in this salad - 

assemble the pea shoots, romaesco, lemon zest fronds, broad beans, flat leaf parsley &  mint leaves on each of the plates. 

into the onion mixture add a pinch of salt and whisk in the olive oil. 

dollop on your ricotta, as much or as little as you like really and then drizzle the entire salad with the dressing. 

finish with a few grinds of black pepper