Nov 5, 2011

Squash & Arugula Salad

☞ I landed in Portland * very late on Wednesday night after a 17 hour journey and barely any sleep**. I'm super jet lagged and haven't slept more than 4 hours at a time since the night before my flight so I'm a little out of it. I put away my clothes the first day, but there are still so many things we need to do to make the apartment livable for two people. So far, we've invested in a Martha Stewart collection flannel bed set, an Ikea duvet, an apple sauce-scented candle, some baking utensils, new silverware and a marriage license. We still need a bed, but now we have an incredibly comfortable duvet cover that will keep us warm during the cold winter months. 

--1318

☞ And while we're on the subject of domestic life, here's the first salad I made the first day***. I'll probably always remember it as our first dinner in our apartment (as opposed to just his apartment). Squash in and on everything has been my obsession lately (hello, kabocha and ricotta pizza), so I couldn't resist trying a type of squash I'd never had when I saw it as Whole Foods. 


 Squash & arugula salad   

➵ Ingredients

- 1/2 a medium carnival squash (or butternut squash, or kabocha)
- 5 cups arugula
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1.4 cup feta
- tablespoon sunflower oil


➵ Instructions⤿⤿⤿⤿⤿⤿ 
 Dice the squash and sauté in a tablespoon of sunflower oil until soft and golden brown. 
 Set aside and leave to cool down for a few minutes. 
 In the meantime, in a salad bowl, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey until well combined. Season to taste. 
 Dump the arugula in the bowl and toss to coat the leaves with dressing. 
 Add squash, crumble the feta on top and toss again. Serve immediately with some crusty bread. 

Notes

*  When I got out of the apartment to go grocery shopping two days ago, I kept thinking, holy fuck, I'm back in Portland! It still feels surreal. Somehow, it feels like I'm just visiting Brent and I'll be on a plane back in a couple of weeks. 
**  On the upside, I was finally able to see Bridesmaids! 
*** How I managed to get up after a three-hour late afternoon nap to make something is beyond me because I was so exhausted. 

11 comments:

  1. oh le jetlag est terrible les premiers jours.
    une nouvelle vie? how exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the bed set. :) And I will try your salad.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i have an ikea duvet and i love it so much. i was worried it wouldn't actually be that warm but it is so awesome!
    i hope you get to catch up on your sleep soon!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am not big on cooking, but that photo is just amazing. I love the lighting in it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. i NEED the deer sheets from the macys link you posted. need. NEED.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Isabelle -- Oui, c'était vraiment dur de se réveiller tôt. J'imagine que tu en as souffert à New York. Et oui, une nouvelle vie!

    Kristin -- I hope you like it! You can use any squash, really. Kabocha (pictured) is good for that too.

    Rae -- Isn't Ikea really nice for some stuff? I had an Ikea duvet at home that I think is awesome because it's so bouncy and warm, but when I went to Ikea, I couldn't find it and the other duvets didn't feel so awesome. After a while, we decided on one that seemed warmer and had a better feel. And thanks, I'm almost caught up today.

    Eva -- Thanks a lot! I like the colors in it a lot.

    Rhiannon -- They are cute. We didn't buy them though because they're a little too Christmasy and we wanted something we could use more often. Too many expenses lately.

    Pierre -- Merci!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Once again: HOO-RAY! Congrats on the move! I can't even begin to imagine how utterly excited you must be (and jetlagged, oy!).

    I've never had a carnival squash but it looks so similar to a delicata, which happens to be my squash of choice. I'm going to snatch up a carnival squash next time I see one and give it a whirl!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yay, congrats on the big move! The jet lag must be intense. But I think watching Bridesmaids will help. ;) Such a funny movie.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kim -- I am very excited and very tired! I need to explore the city, but I get tired at random times of the day, so I've been sticking to the Laurelhurst area. This weekend is going to be different, though.

    Jacqueline -- Watching Bridesmaids did make the flight go faster.

    Amanda -- It's such a delicious seasonal salad. I've made it twice already and can't wait to make it again. I might need to stay away from the squash, though. I've been using squash in at least 3 meals a week since I've been here.

    ReplyDelete