We Couldn’t Wait Potato Squash Torte
This is a much less fussy take on a recipe originally published in Bob Appetit magazine. While Farm Fresh Potatoes create the base, you can definitely play with the veggies and herbs. Summer Squash or Eggplant would keep the dish layers neat and tidy, but Leafy Greens or Green Beans would be delicious too. It tastes even better the second day so it is a wonderful Pot Luck or Summer BBQ contribution that you can make well in advance AND it will make any vegan super happy too.
Ingredients:
1 Med Onion, sliced very thin
2 Pounds Potatoes, peeled & cut into ⅛ inch rounds
(a mandolin is not necessary here, just get as close as you can with a good, sharp knife!)
1 Pound Zucchini cut into ⅛ inch rounds
1 TBSP Fresh Thyme, chopped or 1 tsp Dried
½ tsp Dried Sumac*
(Sumak adds a lemony brightness to the dish, but can be omitted. Chili flakes would also work well)
1 small handful Flat Leaf Parsley, finely chopped - approx 1/2 Cup
1 Cup grated Parmesan
2 TBSP Flour
(For GF sub Garbanzo Flour)
1.5 tsp Salt
¾ tsp Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Heat 2 TBSP Oil in pan. Saute Onion for 8-10 minutes until caramelized. Remove to cool.
Combine Parmesan, Flour, Seasonings, Salt & Pepper in bowl to blend.
Prepare rectangle baking pan with Oil (approx 9x15)
Beginning with Potatoes place a layer of slightly overlapping slices across the entire pan. Follow with a layer of Zucchini and another layer of Potato.
Drizzle top with approx 2 TBSP Olive Oil.
Spread Caramelized Onion over the top
Sprinkle ¾ Cup Cheese mixture evenly across the top. Reserve ¼ Cup for topping
Continue with a layer of Zucchini followed by one more layer of Potato.
Sprinkle remaining Cheese Mixture across top, followed by chopped Parsley and Drizzle all with 2 TBSP Olive Oil
Cover with Foil and Bake for 40 minutes. Remove Foil and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes until Potatoes fork tender and top lightly browned. We turned the broiler on for 3 minutes at the end to crisp up the top, but every oven is different so watch closely!
*Note: Depending on the thickness of your veggie slices, you might find you have one extra layer or not quite enough - just be sure to end with potato! We needed to cut up one more potato to cover the final layer so it is good to have a bit extra on hand.
*Note 2: For a “true” torte and something fancier in presentation you can divide the ingredients in half and make two tortes in 9” round cake pans. We couldn’t wait that long ;)