Delicata and Cauliflower Roast

Like most people, we like Thanksgiving a lot. In a lot of ways, turkey day is an excuse to just spend time cooking. 

It took me a while to figure out what it is that we like about being in the kitchen. Sure, for a holiday, it's an fun event. But day in and day out? I mean, it's all kind of a chore - buying groceries, peeling onions, scrubbing root veggies, washing the dishes. But for us, these simple daily routines end up being quality family time, too. 

Typically, Nat grabs a stool in the corner of the kitchen, and we talk as I prep the ingredients. We talk about the recipe some, but mostly we just wind down from our day. It's an interlude that connects our work and outside life, with our family life. Even though we work from our apartment, preparing dinner feels like we're coming home.

And that's what Thanksgiving is: coming home, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying some home-cooked food. Really, this is how all our meals should be, right? 

Now, of course we can't recreate Thanksgiving every night. It's hard enough for most of us to dedicate 30 minutes to meal prep. But we borrow some ideas from Thanksgiving to make every day meals feel a little special. Sometimes we light the candles on the table. Sometimes we take a few deep breaths together before eating (note: nearly impossible to do without laughing).

The one thing we try to do every night is say a 'grateful.' It can be anything that we appreciate in our lives, so sometimes it’s silly, and sometimes it’s serious. But just by reflecting on one thing every night makes us slow down, and realize all the reasons we have to be thankful.

Delicata and Cauliflower Roast

Serves 4

Delicata is our favorite squash for sure, so we’ve had a hard time choosing just one recipe for the blog. Usually, we’ll just salt it, add oil, roast, and eat it straight from the tray.

This recipe doesn’t take much more effort, but it has a ton of complimentary flavors. The sage adds depth, the cauliflower adds texture, the delicata has warm sweetness, the lemon adds brightness, and pomegranate… well, pomegranate’s just good on everything.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs delicata, seeds removed and sliced
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 2 shallots, quartered
• 1/2 bunch of sage (about 30-40 leaves)
• 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 pomegranate, seeds removed*

Process

• Preheat oven to 400ºF. Arrange a rack on a lower shelf.
• In a large bowl, add the delicate, cauliflower, sage, shallots, olive oil, and salt. Mix well.
• Spread veggies on a baking sheet, and cover (we use a second baking sheet as a cover on top. Aluminum foil works, too.)
• Roast covered for 25 minutes. Remove cover, and roast for 10 more minutes.
• Remove tray, and mix the veggies gently. Keep an eye on it here - we usually roast for another 10 minutes, but times vary based on the size of the delicata and cauliflower pieces.
• Remove veggies and place in a bowl. Add lemon juice and pomegranate seeds.
• Enjoy!

*Removing pomegranate seeds: Our favorite way is to use a bowl with water. Cut the top off the pomegranate, and score the sides five or six times. Break apart the pomegranate into the bowl of water. Using your hands, separate the seeds from the skin. The seeds sink in water and the skin floats, which makes the process easier.)