Kale, Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple, Cheddar

Yes, Yes, Yes, and Why Not? With a cider vinaigrette.

THE SALAD LAB SMELLS LIKE ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH more often than is probably normal this time of the year, strictly speaking. Roasted winter squash sparks joy—and it has a calming effect on me and the boys in the lab, especially if we are stressing out over things that won’t matter when we’re all dead and the robots have taken over.

Which is why we put it in a joyful salad for you, our special subscribers, to make whenever you are feeling like you need to unwind your mind and rethread your head.

Eat your salads while you can, because someday we’ll all be eating rocks on Mars. (Getty Images)

We also have an extremely nice dip—since people are starting to drop by your home, uninvited, just because it’s the season, bringing presents, being all convivial, with their hugs and smiles and overbearing affection. It’s so inconsiderate!

So if you are caught without some olives or toasted nuts—or a nice little cheese in the fridge—this delicious pantry dip will seem like something you made a big deal over even though you can make in literally 8 minutes. I timed myself. Serve it with French bread or crackers or crudités, anything you have.

This will all be over soon enough.