Beets and butternut squash – these are the two vegetables I adore à la nature, without even a pinch of salt. And in Guangzhou, finding them felt like winning the produce lottery under the rarest alignment of stars.
I biked to my beloved local market twice a week – partly out of my devotion to markets, partly to preserve my peace of mind. I loved the explosion of color: golden mangoes, cascading clusters of lychees, pink dragon fruit, piles of deep green broccoli and okra.
I was stunned at first to see eggs and meat left unrefrigerated even in the sweltering 36°C heat. But my Hong Kong friend, living proof that meat bought under these conditions can be consumed for nearly four decades without issue, helped me let go of my Euro-centric food safety standards.
Shopping during siesta time had its own challenges. Sellers lay napping on camping beds right under hanging slabs of pork shoulder or ham hocks. The air was thick and sauna-like, with men in half-pulled-up shirts lounging in the heat.
I also loved the vibrant little world surrounding the market itself. Men sat on tiny plastic stools at food stalls serving steamed buns filled with meat or sweet red bean paste, all in bamboo baskets.
Next to massage parlors, small shops offered a dizzying variety of teas – shelves stacked high with green, oolong, jasmine, and herbal blends. Then there was the favorite of the younger crowd: the juice stand, serving ice-cold guava, mango, and lime drinks to beat the Cantonese heat.
And the scene wouldn’t be complete without the giant green plants crammed onto the smallest balconies, adding to the lush, year-round greenery of the already tree-lined streets.
Back to where it all started—there were two vegetables I simply couldn’t find in Canton: pumpkin and beetroot. Both have long been favorites of mine, not only for their taste but for the cozy fall and winter feeling they bring into the kitchen.
But that feeling was completely absent in subtropical southern China, where even late November only slightly eased the 91–97°F (33–36°C) heat and 88% humidity. The coldest we ever got was a “chilly” 50°F (10°C) in January.
Now, here in Istanbul, the markets are overflowing with pumpkins and beets. In a spontaneous moment, I made this salad inspired by their aroma—and the color harmony amazed me. Even more so the scent: due to lack of time, I roasted the beets and pumpkin together, and with that, fall—finally arriving at a mild 68°F (20°C)—made its way into my kitchen.
Ingredients:
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1/2 lb (about 9 oz) pumpkin, cubed
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3 medium beets
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1 handful baby spinach
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5 oz cooked quinoa
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2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
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2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
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1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
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A few sprigs fresh cilantro (or parsley)
Dressing:
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Juice of 1 small lemon
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4 tbsp olive oil
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1 tsp mustard
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2 tsp honey
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Salt to taste
Preparation:
Once my kitchen filled with the divine smell of roasting veggies, I layered the baby spinach and cooked quinoa in a large bowl.
I chopped up the roasted beets and pumpkin, added a sprinkle of feta, pomegranate seeds, and pumpkin seeds, then topped it off with a bit of cilantro—because the color harmony just called for it.
For the dressing, I whisked together all the ingredients listed above and drizzled it on top.
The Final Result:
