Butternut Squash Gratin Goodness

Janet here: First THANK YOU Alecia for passing on this fabulous squash dish that can stand alone (I'm adding couscous to the leftovers to make a veggie meal) or act as a side dish. If you're still looking for something for Thanksgiving, look no further. This one is a keeper.

Butternut Squash Gratin
serves at 6-9

ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cups sliced onions
4 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
6 cups squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated gruyere (or so — I probably did closer to a cup)
1/2 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons
1 cup breadcrumbs (or in my case, panko because I didn't have breadcrumbs or bread to make them from scratch)

method
Heat 1/2 the olive oil and saute the onion, sage, thyme with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until the onions are carmelized into deliciousness.

Spread this in the bottom of a gratin dish.

Place the remaining oil in the pan to heat it up. Toss the squash in the flour and cook in the pan, stirring occasionally, until brown on all sides, about 7 minutes. Add the parsley and cook for one minute.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Layer squash over the onion mix. Cover the mixture with the cheese and then breadcrumbs. Add the milk.

Bake covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

P-P-P-Pizza! (w/ peas, prosciutto and other awesomeness)

Rachel here.

So, we've been making pizza. And by making pizza, I mean letting store-bought dough rise and then rolling it out (ok, John's been doing all of this...he's just, you know, sooooo good at it) in some semolina flour and topping it as we please. It's yummy and it's gotten kind of fun as it's become a bit of a weekly routine. Plus, it's cheaper than delivery or take-out AND we can put whatever we want on it.

Until recently, we weren't re-inventing the wheel with this whole toppings shindig. This past week, though, we upped the ante. And now, with not only no reservations but also kind of intense enthusiasm (I only say "kind of" because, you know, it's pizza...not the end of the US involvement in the Middle East...trying to keep things in perspective), I can recommend this combination to you:

Fresh peas (so much better than frozen and so, totally worth shelling all those little buggers)
Pea shoots
Caramelized onion
Gruyere
Garlic
Prosciutto

Ok, my mouth totally watered while I was writing that list. When I told my mom about the pizza before we made it she said, "You had me at caramelized onions." When I asked John whether shoots was "shoots" or "chutes" he answered and then said, "Thanks, now I'm totally hungry." Seriously, people, make this pizza. I know you're probably still full from the various April holidays, but hop up and down to make a little more room and then dig in. You won't be sorry, even if it sends you right back into the food coma you only recently emerged from after the holidays.

And stay tuned. This whole toppings thing just might have to become a regular feature.

What do you like on your pizza?