Who among us hasn’t gone to the fridge and found last month’s pumpkin looking soft, sad, and past its use-by date? Spoiled veggies are a huge waste issue, but recipe queen and food guru Emily Gussin has come to the rescue with her colourful book Don’t Waste Your Pumpkin (Murdoch Books). It offers up wonderful ideas for “innovative recipes and projects from stalk to base”. Here’s a delish sample dish to get your mouth watering: Pumpkin and Burrata Grain Salad.
A tangy pomegranate molasses dressing brings together sweet pumpkin, bitter chicory (witlof) leaves, fragrant dill, salty capers and creamy burrata in this heart grain salad.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
600g (1lb 5oz) pumpkin (unpeeled), cut into 3-cm (1¼-inch) chunks or wedges
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g (1oz) pistachios, roughly chopped
150g (5oz) pearl barley or freekeh
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tsp capers
20g (¾oz) dill, fronds chopped
2 chicory (witlof) heads, leaves separated
1 ball burrata
½ tsp pul biber or chilli flakes
Salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7). Spread the pumpkin out on a baking tray, drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season. Roast for 30–35 minutes until tender or lightly caramelised.
Toast the nuts on a separate tray for about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the grain of your choice according to the pack instructions. In a jug, whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil with the vinegar and molasses, then season. Add the warm grains, capers and dill to a bowl, then toss through most of the dressing, followed by the chicory. Transfer the salad to a serving platter, scatter over the pumpkin and the nuts, then add the burrata on top. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and scatter over the pul biber.
Swap the pearl barley out for any grain you have. The recipe works well with wild rice or lentils too.
Images and text from Don’t Waste Your Pumpkin by Emily Gussin, photography by Melissa Reynolds-James, illustrations by Maeve Bargman. Murdoch Books RRP $17.99.
