Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)
1 medium butternut (about 1kg) (or pumpkin, or even sweet potato)
5-6 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup white sorghum (or pearl millet)
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seed (or another seed or roasted nut, roughly chopped)
85g ricotta or other salty cheese (feta, goat cheese), crumbled
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp caster sugar
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Directions
1. Add sorghum to a large pot of water. Use 3 cups of water to 1 cup of grain. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let cook, covered, for about an hour or until the sorghum is tender (but still chewy). If the sorghum grains are still hard after all the water is absorbed, add another cup of water and continue cooking. Drain any remaining liquid and cool slightly.
2. While the sorghum is cooking, peel butternut, halve lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Cut into approximately 2 cm chunks. Preheat oven to 190°C. Coat a baking sheet with 2 Tbsp of oil, spread the squash out in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast until pieces are tender, about 30-40 min, turning them over halfway through the cooking time. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, water, salt and caster sugar until sugar and salt dissolve. Stir in the onion; it will barely be covered by the vinegar mixture but don’t worry. Cover and refrigerate until needed; 30 min is ideal but less time will still make a lovely, lightly pickled onion.
4. In a large bowl, mix together butternut squash, sorghum, red onion and its vinegar brine, the crumbled cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds. Toss with 3 Tbsp of olive oil, add an extra one only if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Eat now or later. Salad keeps in the fridge for up to a week.