As a dietitian, it’s no secret that seasonal vegetables are a priority on my holiday menu.
Not just any vegetables, however, they need to be in-season and complement each other in a medley. For me, dishes should be flavorful, nutritious and look elegant on the table. Today I married brussels sprouts, butternut squash, delicata squash and onion roasted in the oven and topped with a unique smoked finishing salt – which really made the dish.
Working in the hospital, I was taught to educate a large majority of patients on low-sodium diets. The reason being, is that sodium is a culprit in a lot of processed and fast foods in quantities that far exceed what is considered healthy. A natural way to reduce your sodium intake is by choosing to consume whole, unprocessed foods in their natural states – think fruits, veggies, and proteins, for example. In doing so, you can add your own flavoring agents in a mindful way.
A pinch of smoked finishing salt was enough to elevate this dish in flavor and in elegance.
This salt has been slowly smoked for 3 days over local apple wood which gives it bold flavor, making it the perfect addition to holiday dishes – and a little bit goes a long way.
Nancy Bruns with J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works reached out to me about trying their unique finishing salt. She is a seventh-generation salt-maker working from her family’s 200 year old farm harvesting salt from deep below the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia.
The small-batch feel was an immediate draw because I love trying products from local artisans. I received the salt in personally packaged jars with elegant details. The smoked salt was my favorite followed by their ramp and heirloom salts.
Their salt is naturally made by solar evaporation and then hand-harvested. They source from the ancient Iapetus Ocean located beneath the Appalachian mountains. Because they source so deep, their salt is free of contaminants that may be found in salt sourced from surface oceans. You can learn more about their salt and pick up a batch for the holidays at their website (which is also so stunning might I add!).
This is a dish that will look elegant on the table and complement a holiday spread. If you make this vegetable medley, be sure to share with me on Instagram!
- 1/2 delicata squash
- 1/2 butternut squash
- 2 cups brussels sprouts
- 1/2 white onion
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- J.Q. Dickinson Smoked Finishing Salt
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Cut delicata squash in half and remove the seeds, then cut into half moon shapes.
- Peel butternut squash and cut into cubes.
- Slice the ends off of the brussels sprouts and slice in half.
- Slice onion in half and then into quarters.
- Toss all ingredients together with sunflower oil in a large bowl and transfer to a nonstick baking dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Top veggies with J.Q. Dickinson Smoked Finishing Salt and serve immediately.
