LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Arugula salad with roasted pumpkin, toasted hazelnuts or pecans, pomegranate seeds, bleu cheese and Blood Orange Vinaigrette


Photo Susie Iventosch

Salad Ingredients

4 cups rocket-leaf arugula

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 cup cubed, roasted pumpkin*

1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts or pecan halves

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

1/3+ cup extra virgin olive oil (add a little more or less, depending upon

your tastes)

2 tablespoons Blood

Orange vinegar (Cuisine Perel makes this)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Place arugula, pumpkin, pomegranate seeds, blue cheese and pecans in a glass salad bowl. (This is a very pretty salad, so a glass bowl makes a nice presentation.) Toss with vinaigrette and serve at once!

*To cook pumpkin, heat oven to 375F and spray roasting pan with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Cut baking pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds and drizzle inside of pumpkin halves with olive oil. Place, cut side down, in roasting pan and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until a knife will easily pierce through skin and meat. Remove from oven. Cool and remove skin. Cut pumpkin into bite-sized pieces and toss with salt and pepper to season. Refrigerate until ready to use.