Approaching my thirties and i keep having to tell myself that age ain’t nothin’ but a number.

OR so they say…..

But I’m pretty sure anyone under the ripe age of 24 says that, when they have yet to experience a hangover that lingers on for days, forehead wrinkles, and a spare tire that is meant for a monster truck.

All I keep hearing in my head is Wooderson’s (dazed and confused) – “That’s what I love about these high school girls, man, I get older and they stay the same age”. 

Real Life. Gashhh Darnett.

But you know what? I would totally choose my current reality. I’ll trade in my Abercrombie and Fitch wearing days, drinking out of a solo cup (okay that has never changed) filled with boones farm and a fast food burger (now currently reserved for road trips only… in which case I try to take those OFTEN) for my current morning pants dance with an enjoyable glass of red and some good food, perhaps this salad. because i obviously made it for this post 😉

“…..the older you do get the more rules they’re gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin’ man, L-I-V-I-N”

perhaps Wooderson’s character wasn’t a total waste of life.

Fall Roasted Grape & Cauli Salad.

Recipe Notes:

For my apples I used the Golden Delicious variety that I purchased from Eckerts Farm, a local farm that is nearby St. Louis. The coolest part about buying local from Eckerts is that they have a “pick yourself” orchard! Nothing screams fall and family fun time than good ol’ fashioned apple picking. That is absolutely a childhood favorite memory of mine with my family. Picking apples, buying cider, and then coming up with fun ways to eat them (as we would buy in BULK so pies and crips were always a fun way to use our whole lot) Except this time I obviously wanted to do something a little more on the savory side, as I said above, my body has changed QUITE a bit since younger me so keeping this apple close to its nutritious delight is important for me these days (okay except holidays, and like maybe fridays, and then i guess saturday & sundays, and happy hours too).

For this salad I use my roasted pumpkin seed recipe, but you must make sure that your pumpkin seeds are 100 percent crispy or this simply WILL NOT WORK. The moment a little bit of juice hits the seed it will be a chewy monster, and the last thing you want in your mouth is an angry seed. Gag. So if you’re not feeling confident, purchase pepitas at your local grocers. They work just as well here.

That’s it. This salad is so simple. Yay.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Fall Roasted Grape & Cauli Salad

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  22 mins

Total time:  32 mins

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Ingredients

Salad:

• ½ head of cauliflower, chopped into smaller florets
• 1.5 cups red seedless grapes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 apple, chopped into ¼" pieces
• ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds / pepitas (may sub w slithered almond slices)

Dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. First preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Next in a bowl add your cauliflower floret and toss with 1.5 tbsp olive oil. Place on baking sheet. In same bowl, add your grapes and toss with remaining olive oil. Place also on baking sheet (but keep grapes and cauliflower separated as you'll need to remove grapes early)
3. Place in oven and remove the grapes after 12 minutes. Set aside.
4. Toss the cauliflower and continue to roast in oven for another 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.
5. Remove from oven and bring to room temperature.
6. Next in a large bowl add your roasted cauliflower, grapes (and juices) and apple slices. Add your dressing (recipe below) and toss. Salt & Pepper to taste. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Salad Dressing:

1. Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve. Make sure to shake well before drizzling. Additional Salt & Pepper to taste.

3.5.3208

*** Thank you to Eckerts farm for sponsoring this post because I am absolutely a huge fan. All words and feelings are truly my own. So please check them out!