Spelt, Butternut Squash, and Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling
• 0.5 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
• A pinch of ground cayenne pepper
• 2.5 cups cooked spelt, cooled (from 1 cup raw spelt, cooked according to package directions)
• 1 shredded grilled chicken breast
• 90 g smoked Gouda, cut into very small cubes
• 0.5 cups walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 3 cups small kale

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pumpkin and red onion on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with your hands to coat well and spread into a single layer. Bake, stirring once, until the pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork, 30–40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Place the raisins in a shallow bowl and pour vinegar over them. Soak, stirring occasionally, for at least 15 minutes. Pour the vinegar into another small bowl, pressing down on the raisins to extract as much liquid as possible. Add mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and peppercorns to the vinegar, to taste. Drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Whisk until emulsified. Set aside.
3. To make the salad, place the spelt, chicken, cheese, walnuts, raisins, pumpkin, red onion, and kale in a large bowl, add the dressing, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss to combine. This is one of those salads that really gets better with a little time to rest.