Summer Squash and Potato Torte
I’ve never been a fan of scalloped potatoes which I have always found perplexing because in theory I should love them, there is just something about them, the potatoes are never cooked enough, the creamy is too creamy, the cheese too cheesy. I can’t even pin point what it is I don’t like, I just don’t like them. On a quest to use summer squash in a new way I stumbled upon this recipe on smitten kitchen, I hesitated at first thinking that it may be a bit like scalloped potatoes, and maybe it was, but it turned out to be something that I would eat again and again and again.
I was so happy to have found a recipe for yellow squash that did not involve a casserole dish or bacon, for some reason, as a person who grew up in the South, the only use for it has been as a Southern side dish. It is too watery for pasta and many other types of dishes, but the water works well in this dish, steaming the potatoes and melting all of the flavors together. I have almost completely changed this recipe from the original, using ingredients that I had at hand, I also only made one torte with a 10-inch pan as opposed to the suggested two with 8-inch pans, but I used the same amount of ingredients, creating a vegetarian curry with what was leftover.
Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte adapted from smitten kitchen
Makes 8 servings
- 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
- 12 ounces yellow crookneck squash or regular yellow summer squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
- 6 teaspoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with olive oil. (I used 1 10-inch pan, but had a lot of potatoes, squash and onions leftover).
Layer 1/6 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/4 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese. Repeat with 1/6 of potatoes, then 1/4 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese. Top with 1/6 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Repeat procedure with second cake pan and remaining potatoes, squash, oil, and cheese mixture.
Cover pans with foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until tortes begin to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes longer. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cool. Cover with foil and chill. Rewarm, covered with foil, in 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.)
Cut each torte into wedges and serve.
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