Over the past several weeks, I have watched all 3 seasons of Martha Holidays (I blame it on Christmas vacation!). One of my favorite episodes is titled “Christmas in the Country” featuring Clare de Boer, chef and proprietor of Stissing House; an acclaimed restaurant in in Pine Plains, NY. Being that it’s not too far from where I live in Upstate NY, Stissing House is high on my list of places to visit in 2025. In the meantime, I’ll be recreating the Honeynut Squash Salad featured in the episode, at home. I took a couple of liberties, using Saba (concentrated grape syrup) in place of pomegranate molasses, and swapped walnuts out for hazelnuts, based on what I had in my pantry. Either way, this is a flexible concept that focuses on the beautiful, colorful produce still available to us in the dead of Winter.
Below, I included a loose step-by-step of how I put this salad together at home. And, if you so happen to be on TikTok (Join me – for as long as the party lasts…!), I posted the steps there as well.
This salad begins with an assortment of gorgeous chicories. Here I have “Early Radicchio”, “Castelfranco”, and “Rosa di Verona” varieties.
To prepare the honeynut squash: preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Seed the squash and slice it into wedges. Drizzle the wedges with extra-virgin olive oil; season them generously with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves. Roast, covered with aluminum foil, for approximately 20 minutes, until the squash is golden brown and caramelized at the edges.
Cut or tear the chicories into large pieces.
To make the dressing: whisk (or shake) together 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon saba (concentrated grape syrup), and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Season liberally with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Add the chicories to a large mixing bowl.
Allow the roasted honeynut squash to cool slightly before adding it to the same mixing bowl.
Seed a pomegranate. Toss toasted hazelnuts – as many as you wish – with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil to give them a glossy finish. Add the pomegranate arils and nuts to your mixing bowl.
Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, if desired. Top with the dressing, and gently toss. Sprinkle the salad with additional pomegranate arils, and another pinch of sea salt.
