Garden Failures Yield a Winter Salad Recipe

A simple salad can brighten a dark winter day. This one uses both shaved and roasted pumpkin. The combination creates exciting textures and a vibrant color. Growing squash can be difficult. Even expert gardener and chef Mark Hix has faced recent failures in his Dorset garden. He suspects his soil may be the problem. Hix is not giving up. He plans to try new squash varieties in a specially prepared garden bed. Fortunately, a friend recently gifted him several squashes. These hardy gourds store for months, making them perfect for winter cooking. Mark Hix is a restaurateur and writer based in Lyme Regis. His latest limited-edition book, *Fishy Tales*, is now available.