Roasted Acorn Squash Salad with Arugula and Chèvre

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.

2. Cut squash in half and remove seeds and strings. Brush cut ends liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a fork pierces the flesh with no resistance.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl (mint, oregano, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper). I used an immersion blender to emulsify and “puree” everything together. You can also add everything to a blender or food processor and get the same result.

5. Transfer roasted pumpkin to serving plates. While still steaming, fill the cavities with crumbles of goat cheese and then baby arugula. Add vinaigrette to taste and toss, being sure to scrape pumpkin flesh into salad as you toss. Eat immediately.

NOTE: I suggest letting guests assemble their own salad at the table. This is a fun and interactive first course. Provide a shallow bowl to hold the pumpkin and 2 small spoons per person so that they can smash the ingredients together themselves.