Hasselback Squash? (Berkshire Eagle Column)
Although I have often made quiche and other similar recipes with many combinations of produce and/or protein, I wanted to make something a bit more striking for a change. Thinking about the visual effect of Hasselback potatoes, I created a recipe for this past week’s Berkshire Eagle, that looks dramatic. Getting the squash slices to stand on end took a bit of finagling (and, of course, that’s not at all necessary for a delicious dish), but if you have company coming, arranging the slices Hasselback-style makes for a pretty presentation.
SQUASH THE COMPETITION
by Elizabeth Baer
No matter what else refuses to grow, it seems like everyone, every farm stand, every CSA share, always has summer squash, especially zucchini. Of course, when growing zucchini, you look away for just a moment and it becomes as big as a baseball bat! (When that happens, I discard the seeds and grate the flesh and store it in the freezer in packs apportioned for making zucchini bread during the winter.)
A few weeks ago, my sister and her family were coming for a weekend visit. They would be arriving somewhat late, and the timing was uncertain, so I wanted to figure out room temperature dishes that they could enjoy whenever they got here. With a combination of zucchini and yellow squash from our CSA, I set about making something kind of like a quiche, but more dramatic! (I served this along with a chard torte from a cookbook they had recently given me, a perfect summer dinner!)
Of course you can adapt this as desired. It would be easy to make this gluten-free with gluten-free bread crumbs and flour, or you could tuck some bits of prosciutto between the pieces of squash. But whatever you do, it’s another way to use the abundance of the season!
SUMMER SQUASH TORTE
Serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
2½-3 pounds summer squash, preferably a mix of colors
1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons seasoned breadcrumbs
6 eggs
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated cheese, such as Parmesan or pecorino
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence, or other herb mixture
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS:
Slice squash into ¼-inch thick round slices. If you have a mandoline, this will make it easier. Arrange some of the slices on paper towel in a single layer and sprinkle with some salt. Top with another piece of paper towel, another layer of squash, and again sprinkle some salt on the slices. Continue until you have arranged all the squash into a pile. You should have used about a teaspoon of salt for this step of the process. Place a flat item on top of the pile, such as a cutting board or a half sheet pan, and place a weight on top. I use my heavy cast iron skillet. Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes to drain out some of the liquid in the squash.
Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt, and sauté until onions are lightly golden and soft.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray and spread ¼ cup bread crumbs in an even layer on the bottom. Place the pan on a foil-lined half sheet pan in case of leakage.
Combine the eggs, sour cream, flour, grated cheese, herb mixture, baking powder, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and whisk to combine well.
Take the squash slices and begin to arrange them in the springform pan. In the end, you want them standing on edge, but that is difficult to do from the start. If you arrange them overlapping in a tight circle around the outside edge, you can work to stand them up as you add more slices between the ones already there. Once the outer ring as been arranged, make a smaller ring inside the first one, and finally add any remaining slices in the center or add extra slices to one of the two rings. Distribute the onion over the top, but it does not need to be perfectly evenly arranged everywhere. Pour the egg mixture over all, and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons bread crumbs on top.
Bake for 60 minutes, or until egg mixture is set. Allow to cool before opening the springform pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.