Roasted Butternut Squash and Cabbage Galette

There are two reasons I’m not a vegetarian.

1. Bacon: I have a weakness for bacon that is unsurpassed. I know, I know – Bacon is no good for me; for anyone. The nitrites, the whole artery clogging deal. I get it… However, I loves me some good bacon.

Bacon is like…

Like…

The leather jacket cigarette smoking bad boy your mama told you to stay away from. Oh, you know he’s no good – He drives a motorcycle and is into petty crime. There’s a possible 3-5 for armed robbery and a jailhouse tat in his near future. He’s going to drag you right along with him; but you don’t care about that – You can’t stop seeing him. He’s exciting. He brings color and flavor to your otherwise humdrum poodle skirt wearing studious existence. He makes you feel less like a dork – You just can’t leave him…

2. Grill season: Man, oh man… Nothing compares to charcoal briquettes and cedar planks smoking your backyard with one of the unmistakable scents of summer. The kissssshhhhh sound your steak makes as it’s plunked on the grill. A glass of spiked lemonade is glistening nearby while your plastic fork and knife dive into that juicy grill marked meat…

Hot damn…

You clearly see why I’m not vegetarian. I enjoy animals down to the bone marrow. Maybe you’re just like me. Maybe you like consuming slaughtered animals like a caveman.

But wait – Put that chicken bone down for a second. How about we try something completely vegetarian. No, I’m not saying lay off the pork chop – What I’m saying is every so often… Let’s eat some veggies.

Its good for the arteries.

I made a roasted butternut squash and cabbage galette this weekend. Galette just sounds fancy, but it’s just a free form tart. You roll out pie dough, put your filling in the middle and sort of pleat the dough around the filling and bake. That’s it.  Easy… It takes longer to cut up a chicken than to make a galette – And that’s making the dough from scratch; which I did.

I had the pleasure of tasting this gem at #Piepartylive this past October. It was Three Many Cooks’ contribution to the shindig and I couldn’t wait to get all the ingredients together.

You roast butternut squash, cabbage and onions. You mix – get this – cream cheese and gruyere cheese with the roasted veggies. You may be tempted to eat filling by the spoonful. Don’t fight it. Just make sure you have enough to fill the pie crust. You sprinkle cheese on top. Damn if everything isn’t better topped with cheese.  Oh man…

Now I understand why people give up meat.

Respect…

I made a few changes – I made my own pate brisse using Simply Recipe’s dynamite instructions. I had no gruyere on hand so I used a mixture of emmenthal and Jarlsberg cheeses. Oh, and I added some garlic to the roasted veggies. I hope the ladies at Three Many Cooks don’t mind…

I had every intention of keeping this to myself; but my heart softened. I shared it with my family who devoured it.

Now I’m sharing it with you because I’d like to think of us as friends. Plus I’m totally in the holiday spirit.

So if one day you find yourself deep in pork cracklings and you need a break…

Try this.

And if you decide a change of lifestyle is in order and you go vegetarian…

You’re welcome…!

 

: Butternut Squash & Cabbage Galette

Adapted from: Three Many Cooks

• 3 1/2 cups cabbage quartered, cored and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 3 1/4 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes about 1/2-inch thick
• 1 large red onion, halved and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme sprigs, chopped small
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• A double batch of Simply Recipe’s Pate Brisse
• 4 ounces full fat cream cheese (half a block of cream cheese)
• 1/2 heaping cup Emmenthal cheese, grated
• 1/2 heaping cup Jarlsberg cheese, grated
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash

To roast vegetables:

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place cabbage, butternut squash, and onions and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Toss with olive oil thyme, and sprinkle ever so generously with salt and pepper. Adjust oven racks to lowest and middle positions. Set vegetables on bottom rack of the oven and roast, stirring a few times until just cooked and the vegetables are showing a bit of color; about 20-25 minutes. I roasted for a little over 25 minutes because I wanted a bit more color to my roasted vegetables.

To assemble galette:

1. Roll Pate Brisse to a 14-inch circle and either set on a large cookie sheet or on top of parchment to place on top of a heated pizza stone placed in the middle rack of oven (I went the pizza stone route). Mix cream cheese and 3/4 of the grated cheeses in a large bowl. Add hot vegetables to cheese mixture, and toss to thoroughly mix. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Spread mixture over pastry, leaving about a 2-inch border. Fold the border over the mixture, pleating the edges. The middle of the galette should remain open. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese and brush the edges with the beaten egg. If you are using a pizza stone, carefully transfer the parchment with the galette and slide it onto the pizza stone. Bake on middle rack until bubbly and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice that bad boy and serve.

Number of servings (yield): 8