Squash Provencal Food

PROVENCAL SUMMER SQUASH AND POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly mist a shallow 2-quart baking or gratin dish with cooking spray.
• Thinly slice the squash, zucchini, potato, and onion 1/4-inch thick with a mandolin or by hand. Shingle the vegetables in the prepared baking dish in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake until the potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil; sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 45 minutes more. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUPERB SQUASH SOUP WITH THE BEST PARMESAN CROUTONS

Steps:

• Put a very large saucepan on a medium heat and pour in a couple of glugs of olive oil.
• Add the sage leaves and fry for around 30 seconds or until dark green and crisp. Quickly remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels - you'll use these for sprinkling over at the end. In the pan you'll be left with a beautifully flavored oil, so put it back on the heat and throw in your onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary leaves, chile and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are sweet and soft. Add the squash and the stock to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for around 30 minutes.
• While the soup is cooking, make your croutons. Drizzle a little olive oil over the ciabatta slices, and press some grated Parmesan onto each side. Place in a non-stick pan without any oil and fry until golden on both sides.
• When the squash is soft and cooked through, whiz the soup with an immersion blender or pour it into a standard blender and pulse until you have a smooth puree* (but you can leave it slightly chunky if you like). Most importantly, remember to taste and season it until it's perfect. Divide the soup between your bowls, placing 2 croutons on top of each. Sprinkle with a few of your crispy sage leaves and drizzle with a swirl of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

SIMPLE PROVENçAL WINTER SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 3-quart baking or gratin dish with olive oil. Toss together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Combine well and turn into the baking dish. Place in the oven and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the squash is thoroughly tender and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.

PAN-COOKED SUMMER SQUASH WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan, until the zucchini is lightly seared and beginning to soften, three to five minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant -- less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have begun to cook down, about five minutes. Return the zucchini to the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender and translucent and the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce. Stir in the basil, and taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and serve hot, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

BRAISED PROVENCAL CHICKEN WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Combine 6 cups water, beans and onion in large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool in cooking liquid. Drain bean mixture, discarding cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, place chicken in medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil, oregano, thyme and rosemary and toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken in skillet until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
• Pour off drippings from skillet. Add wine and garlic to skillet; simmer until liquid is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes. Stir in squash, tomatoes in juice and drained bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in parsley. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving bowl. Spoon bean-and-vegetable mixture over.