Pumpkin and Pomegranate Salad

Nothing speaks of Fall like a pumpkin!

Recipe by: Gabrielle

SERVES: 4-6

Wine Pairing: 2013 Pietro Family Cellars Field Blend Red Wine, California

PREP TIME: 20 minutes, COOKING TIME: 50 minutes, TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups pumpkin, peeled, diced 1”x 1” cubes
¼ cup GC Napa Valley Natural Savory Proprietary Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. + ½ tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Culinary Lavender Tellicherry Pepper
½ tsp. + ¼ tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Sage Finishing Sea Salt
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, all-purpose
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (store bought or removed from 2 pomegranates)
½ cup red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar, ultra-premium
¼ cup GC Napa Valley Natural Lemon Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1 bag 10 oz. mixed salad greens (preferably from farmers market)
8 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Optional garnish: Toasted pumpkin seeds

TO PREPARE

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds. Reserve seeds if toasting them as a garnish. Cut off stem and bottom nub. Place skin side up on cutting board and peel with a potato peeler. Once peeled, cut with sharp knife vertically into ½” strips, then cut into 1” cubes. Place cubes in a medium mixing bowl. Add Savory Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 tsp. Lavender Tellicherry Pepper, ½ tsp. Sage Finishing Sea Salt and mix well.
Arrange pumpkin cubes on a baking sheet brushed with all-purpose Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Bake 45 minutes.
To remove the seeds from the pomegranate, fill a large bowl with water. Score the flesh of the pomegranate leaving 4 sections. Using your hands, pull the pomegranate apart in the water, then gently remove the seeds. The seeds will drop to the bottom of the bowl, as the flesh floats to the top. Discard floating pieces, then drain off the water.
Prepare dressing: In a small mixing bowl add pomegranate seeds, red onion, red wine vinegar, Lemon Olive Oil, ½ tsp. Lavender Tellicherry Pepper, ¼ tsp. Sage Finishing Sea Salt, thyme, and tarragon. Mix well.
When pumpkin is finished baking, switch oven to broiler function. Broil pumpkin for 5 minutes until brown and crispy.
Optional garnish of toasted pumpkin seeds: Spread rinsed and dried seeds on a baking sheet, drizzle with Savory Extra Virgin Olive Oil, mix to coat, and spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with Sage Finishing Sea Salt. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 8-15 minutes depending on size of seeds, until lightly toasted.

TO SERVE

Layer on each serving plate in the following order: 1 ½ cups mixed greens, drizzle ¼ cup of dressing, sprinkle ½ cup crispy pumpkin pieces, top with 2 Tbsp. goat cheese crumbles.

Optional garnish: Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. toasted pumpkins over top of salad.