Dean Parker’s roast squash and cavolo nero salad with black olive tapenade. Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food styling: Tamara Vos. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. Food styling assistant: Georgia Rudd. View image in fullscreen Dean Parker’s roast squash and cavolo nero salad with black olive tapenade. Photograph: Matthew Hague/The Guardian. Food styling: Tamara Vos. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. Food styling assistant: Georgia Rudd. Food Squash salad and chocolate mousse: Dean Parker’s recipes for early autumn Celebrate the flavours of the coming season via this rewarding salad and rich dessert to share
Prefer the Guardian on Google A s the days start to shorten and the temperature drops (finally!), the produce becomes richer, sweeter and more comforting, and the onset of autumn is a time of year that naturally brings people together around the table, which is something I’ve always loved about food. At the restaurant, we try to let the ingredients do the talking, and we work closely with growers and producers to make the most of whatever’s in season. Today’s recipes celebrate some of my favourite seasonal flavours: the salad is simple but deeply satisfying, balancing sweet roast squash with bitter greens and a punchy black olive tapenade. For dessert, meanwhile, chocolate mousse with poached fruit is my idea of autumn in a bowl, not least because quince has a beautiful, floral character that develops as it cooks, and pairs perfectly with dark chocolate and the nutty richness of browned butter. The creme fraiche adds freshness and balance, and brings everything together. Both dishes are rooted in the philosophy that guides my cooking: celebrate the season, respect great ingredients and create food that encourages people to slow down and enjoy each other’s company.
This is the sort of dish that works just as well as a light lunch or as part of a larger feast shared with friends. If you like, top the finished salad with some crumbled feta, shaved pecorino or a spoonful of thick yoghurt.
For the salad 1 medium butternut squash , halved, deseeded, peeled and cut into wedges 2 tbsp olive oil , plus a little extra for the cavolo nero 1 pinch dried chilli flakes Sea salt and black pepper 1 roughly 250g bunch cavolo nero Juice of ½ lemon 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds , or walnuts
For the tapenade 100g black olives , pitted 1 small garlic clove , peeled 1 tsp capers , drained 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp red-wine vinegar Black pepper
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Put the squash in a large roasting tray with the olive oil and chilli flakes, season generously and toss to coat. Spread out the squash into a single layer, then roast for 30-35 minutes, turning once halfway, until golden and tender.
Meanwhile, strip off and discard the thick stalks from the cavolo nero and tear the leaves into large pieces. Blanch these in salted boiling water for two minutes, then drain and refresh briefly under cold running water. Squeeze dry, put in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and a little olive oil.
Now make the tapenade. Finely chop the olives, garlic, capers and parsley, either by hand or by pulsing in a food processor, then put them in a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar to form a rough paste, then season lightly with black pepper to taste.
Arrange the cavolo nero on a serving plate and top with the warm roast squash. Spoon over the tapenade, finish with a scattering of toast…