We ended the gardening season with a pile of delicata squash, lots of greenish tomatoes, and those mounds of kale you keep hearing about. Of those, these delicata squash have been the most fun to try to use up.The sformato, described as kind of like a souffle only without the bit that makes it go all poofy, can fill in for the mashed potato or other veggie puree in a meal.
From the Sprouted Kitchen via epicurious.com
Ingredients
1 large delicata squash
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 cup shredded jack cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Pierce with a fork and bake cut side down at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Mix creme fraiche, cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.
Scrape squash flesh away from shell. Combine in large bowl with syrup and vinegar, mashing until smooth. Stir in creme fraiche mixture, then egg and nutmeg.
Butter an 8- by 8-inch glass or ceramic pan. Spread mixture in pan. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until specks of browning appear on top. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Rating: Any really good recipe hits on at least three cylinders out of this lineup: taste, aroma, texture and looks. This one scores really well on two out of four, with an obvious miss on the looks front. The author says she makes this in individual dishes when preparing it for company, which might help. But there's a limit to what even a pretty ramekin can do.
While roasting, delicata squash smell like a really buttery sugar cookie in the oven -- a sweet, slightly nutty scent. Tastewise, it's nice; fairly subtle, but nice. So all that said, would I make it again? Yes, but not for company since it just doesn't look like good eats. There are lookier things to do with a delicata squash. We'll get to that.
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