Before I get down to business about this truly dreamy fall salad, I just have to ask – what do you think of the new look on the site? Is it not awesome? Major props and heaps of gratitude are in order for Paul, the gifted designer who was able to take the pages of meandering babble I wrote for him about my vision for the East Village Kitchen and translate them into the clean, beautiful design that you see here. I can’t wait to cook a giant thank you meal for he and his wife. Also, while I’m rolling the credits, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Brian spent the better part of a weekend wrangling the HTML to make the design play nice with Wordpress, a daunting task that elicited cursing from the computer desk all weekend and proved, as if I didn’t know already, just how much he loves me.

Also, while I’m handing out thank yous, I also owe a big one to the EVK readers who reached out to me, either by commenting on the site or via email, to express disgust about what happened at that interview earlier this week and to offer words of encouragement. I was pretty ashamed, in hind site, that I allowed it to even happen rather than telling him that it was inappropriate and storming out, and I feel better now that I’ve taken action. That’s the last I’ll say on the matter, onward and upward! I’ll be doing a trial run at a wonderful bakery on Monday.

Ok, so, this salad. I’ve got my sweater on and I’m changing culinary gears – it’s time to embrace fall, hateful socks and all. I read an article about how amazing sugar pumpkins are for all kinds of sweet and savory recipes and decided that I wanted to try my hand with them this week. I have to say, I’m in love.

I missed out on the farmers market, so I was really happy to find the perfect NY state sugar pumpkin, just shy of 2 pounds, at Whole Foods. They were not marked with price per-pound, which usually ends with me going into mild shock at the checkout when the price is finally revealed, but not this time. I guess I never noticed before, but it turns out that pumpkin, even local, organic pumpkin, is cheap.

This is happy news for me, because I plan on making this salad at least once a week as long as sugar pumpkins are in season.

This is the kind of recipe that is super easy to pull together, but does require you to wait half an hour for the pumpkin to roast and the lentils to soak and cook. Be sure to get the lentils and the boiling water going while you are prepping the pumpkin, to save time. The biggest pain is cutting up and peeling the pumpkin, but I found that the chore became easier with the help of a sharp Swiss peeler. Also, if you quarter the pumpkin and scoop out all the seeds and pulp before you peel, the job goes much quicker. Be sure to use a sharp knife – raw pumpkin flesh is tough!

Once your pumpkin has cooled a bit (I thought this was stellar when the pumpkin was still warm) the only thing left to do is toss everything together and – voila! You’ve got yourself a bowl of spiced, creamy, crunchy deliciousness. The flavors and textures meld so perfectly; the subtle whiff of cumin and smoky flavor from the paprika, the goat cheese, melting into the pumpkin, making them both creamy and just a bit sweet, the slight bite of the lentil skins and the crunch of the rocket. Sigh. Drool. I’m so happy I have leftovers in the fridge!

Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil, and Goat Cheese Salad
Borrowed from Bon Appetit, November 2009

The subtle spices that are roasted with the pumpkin make a big difference and it is important to used a smoked paprika if at all possible. The website tienda.com is an excellent source for Spanish specialty spices and other traditional Spanish staples – Brian even ordered cheese from it! If you can’t find French lentils, just substitute other ones, just be sure to follow the directions for soaking and cooking that are provided with them, as they may be different.

Serves 4 as a meal, more as a pre-meal salad or side

3/4 cup French green lentils*
6 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash(from about one 2-pound whole pumpkin)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika**
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups baby arugula
1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

PreparationPlace lentils in small bowl. Cover with cold water and soak 10 minutes; drain.

Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Drain lentils. Rinse under cold water, then drain.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pumpkin in large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and sea salt. Arrange pumpkin in single layer on baking sheet; roast 20 minutes. Turn pumpkin over. Roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Combine lentils, pumpkin, and oil from baking sheet with arugula, half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates; sprinkle remaining goat cheese over.

* Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

** Sometimes labeled Pimentón Picante or Pimentó de La Vera Picante;

available at specialty foods stores and from tienda.com.