Roasted Delica Squash with Braised Kale

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

• 400g short grain brown rice
• 1 Delica Squash, cut into 90g wedges, deseeded
• 50g white miso 50g apple cider vinegar
• 75g extra virgin olive oil
• 70g pine nuts

For the jalapeno oil (this will make more than you need but stores well in the fridge)

• 100g jalapeno (deseeded save 1)
• 1 spring onion
• 200g neutral oil (rapeseed)
• 100g spinach
• 5g Maldon salt

For the braised kale:

• 1 shallot, chopped
• 100g shiitake, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 50g extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Maldon salt
• 500g kale, sliced fine
• 1 orange, zest and juice
• 1 lemon, zest and juice

For the green olive salsa:

• 100g jalapeno oil
• 50g shallots, diced
• 50g chopped chives
• 50g minced green olive
• 4g ground white pepper
• 4g Maldon salt

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. Make the jalapeno oil by blending all ingredients at high speed, until smooth. Set aside, you’ll need this when you make the green olive salsa.
3. Rinse the brown rice in cold water. Cover with 1 litre of cold fresh water in a pan, and bring up to a simmer. After a few minutes, when no longer crunchy but not yet soft, still with a bit of chew, strain and rinse with cold water, and leave to cool and dry on a cloth lined tray.
4. Using a hand blender, blend the miso and vinegar together. Stream in the oil slowly to form a thick emulsion. Cover the squash wedges in the emulsion, then roast in the oven for 12 mins.
5. Sweat shallot, shiitake, garlic, chicory in extra virgin olive oil and salt, until softened but with no colour, around 30 mins.
6. Add in kale, saute for a few minutes until slightly wilted. Cool for a further 30 mins until totally soft.
7. Add the citrus juice and zest, and cook until juice has reduced to a syrup.
8. Make the green olive salsa by blitzing the jalapeno oil and all the other ingredients together in a blender until it forms a chunky mixture.
9. Turn the oven down to 140 degrees celsius and toast the pine nuts in an even layer for 30 minutes.
10. Serve by adding the brown rice and braised kale to a plate, top with the squash followed by the tapenade, and lastly the toasted pine nuts.