Nutmeg Pumpkin Salad with Almonds and Camembert

With the coming of winter and the fading of the sun, we don't need to leave salads behind. In fact, using winter produce, salads can become hearty, rich affairs. A staple, for me, of the winter salad is pumpkin. Cheap, readily available, filling, and delicious when roasted, it's hard to go past.

My mum was the first to get me hooked on roast vegetable salads. With a balsamic dressing, bowls laden with spinach, feta, pumpkin, tomatoes, onions and capsicum would regularly adorn our table a few years ago. I've altered the recipe for a less Mediterranean taste.

Ingredients (Serves 4 as starter, 2 as main)

Salad

• 1/2 large butternut pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 small wheel Camembert
• 4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup almond flakes
• 3 rashers bacon
• 1 spanish onion

Dressing

• 3 tbsp raspberry vinegar
• 4 tsp hazelnut oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Chop the pumpkin into roughly 2cm cubes and toss through with 1tbsp olive oil, the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Scatter onto a baking tray and place in oven.
Slice the onion into thin rings and place, without oil, onto baking tray.

After pumpkin has been cooking for 30 minutes, add the onions to the oven.
Remove both the pumpkin and the onions when each show signs of beginning to blacken.

Cut the bacon into thin strips and saute in a hot pan until crispy, transferring to paper towel when cooked.
Cut the camembert into thin wedges.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar or glass and shake/whisk vigorously until combined.
To plate; toss the pumpkin with the spinach, almonds, bacon and dressing and lay camembert wedges over the top.