Tres Calabazas and Three Winners

Hi all!

Thank you for participating in Camilla Saulsbury's cookbook giveaway. Instead of numbers, I printed out your names, threw them in a large bowl, stirred them with a whisk, wooden spoon, hand, and let the little man, ahem, I mean little Skywalker do the honors.



Here are the three lucky winners:

1.TKW or The Kitchen Witch who said: “Cayenne in the brownies! Awesome! Did you think it added something?”

[I think it did. I love the intense chocolate flavor, the cinnamon, and the slight after burn of the cayenne. Perfect brownies for fall.]

2. Laurel who said: “Cool! I would love the book too!”

3. Zay who said: “I wish I would have known about the Aztec dancers. I would have really enjoyed that. Also, I hope that I win Camilla’s book. :)”

Ladies, congratulations! Email me at *radadaisy*{at}[gmail]*dot*(com) with your addresses and I will get the book in the mail in the next couple of days. Thanks again for participating!


Oh, pumpkins and squashes, how can I express my love for you? I have previously tried to do so, and yet I find myself swooning in front of dishes that feature the fall’s bounty, such as the one I am offering today. I call it Tres Calabazas because I use three different squashes: acorn, butternut, and red kuri. All three orange-hued, all three sweet and creamy, all three perfectly paired with caramelized onions, sage and thyme. I made this for a dinner party at Jeana’s house, and while I loved seeing the guests swoon for the squashes just as I did, I had the desire to keep it all to myself, just like a 2 year old. But share I did, and to make up for my childish thoughts, I am offering it to you. When you make it, you won’t want to share it either. Happy eating!



Tres Calabazas
Inspired by this recipe on Epicurious.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 large sweet yellow onions, thinly sliced in half rings (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon dried, rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium acorn squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3-4 cups)
1 cup of 1-inch cubes of butternut squash
1/3 red kuri squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable (or chicken) broth


2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, made from Italian rustic loaf or any other European-style bread
1 cup (packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup grated Asiago cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray or butter a large baking dish.
Heat olive oil and butter in large pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, sage, and thyme, and sauté until the onions are golden, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the squashes, sauté about 5 minutes, and sprinkle the sugar, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-5 more minutes.
Place the vegetable mixture in baking dish and pour chicken broth over. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30-40 minutes.
In the meanwhile, roughly chop the bread, place in a small food processor, and pulse until you have fine breadcrumbs. In a medium bowl mix them with the cheeses and olive oil.
Increase oven temperature to 400 F. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over vegetables. Bake uncovered until top is golden brown and crisp (about 10-20 minutes).
Ju bëftë mirë!
E.