Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte
This torte can easily be made ahead and reheated as needed for guests. In fact, it's even better reheated because there is something about potatoes that have been cooked twice-they get browner at the edges and more tender inside, creating an excellent contrast. Can double recipe and make as a single torte in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. I created 4 layers of potatoes and 3 of the squash and it was a bit tall going into the oven, almost overflowing, but it absolutely bakes down into a lovely height. I recommend lightly buttering or oiling your foil if you use this method, so that it doesn't stick to the top layer of potatoes before they shrink down. It needed about 10 minutes more baking time to get tender.
This torte can easily be made ahead and reheated as needed for guests. In fact, it's even better reheated because there is something about potatoes that have been cooked twice-they get browner at the edges and more tender inside, creating an excellent contrast. Can double recipe and make as a single torte in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. I created 4 layers of potatoes and 3 of the squash and it was a bit tall going into the oven, almost overflowing, but it absolutely bakes down into a lovely height. I recommend lightly buttering or oiling your foil if you use this method, so that it doesn't stick to the top layer of potatoes before they shrink down. It needed about 10 minutes more baking time to get tender.
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 bunch green onions thinly sliced
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound yukon gold potatoes sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 6 ounces yellow squash sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Carbohydrate 23.4147428350048 g
- Cholesterol 2.75000000350403 mg
- Fat 2.72351158055164 g
- Fiber 3.23188429235154 g
- Protein 4.33943009422931 g
- Saturated Fat 0.818851825753079 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (169g)
- Sodium 56.5027020937604 mg
- Sugar 20.1828585426532 g
- Trans Fat 0.144104669161198 g
- Calories 131 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter one 8-inch-diameter cake pans. Set aside 2 tablespoons sliced green onions. Toss remaining green onions, cheese, flour, thyme, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.
- Layer 1/3 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/2 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese mixture. Repeat with 1/3 of potatoes, then 1/2 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/3 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Repeat procedure with second cake pan and remaining potatoes, squash, oil, and cheese mixture.
- Cover pan 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. Sprinkle wedges with 2 tbs green onions; serve.
Standard gratins rely on heavy dairy to bind starches, but this torte achieves structural integrity through disciplined layering and the natural starches of Yukon Gold potatoes. Achieving uniform slices at exactly one-eighth of an inch thick is the single technique that determines success or failure, ensuring every round cooks at an identical rate without raw centers or mushy edges. Arranging the vegetables in precise concentric circles creates internal friction that holds the wedges together upon serving.
- Mandoline slicers provide the exact one-eighth-inch thickness required for even starch release and proper moisture evaporation.
- Covering the pans with foil for the initial forty minutes traps steam to soften the dense potato cells before the exterior browns.
- Uncovering the baking vessels for the final twenty-five minutes allows excess vegetable moisture to escape while parmesan proteins brown.
- Cooling the baked torte completely before chilling solidifies the melted cheese and starches, preventing structural collapse during slicing.
- Reheating the chilled wedges in a three hundred fifty degree Fahrenheit oven revives crisp edges while maintaining a tender interior.
Cooking this dish six hours ahead yields superior results because starches retrograduate during refrigeration, creating a denser texture that browns more efficiently upon reheating. Leftover wedges hold their shape cleanly when chilled thoroughly before being warmed through.
