What Goes In
- 1/2 cup cashews
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Table salt
- Canola oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 bunch chard, stems sliced, leaves torn
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced thick
- 2.5 pounds delicata squash (about 2 large), halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
- Black pepper
- 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Start Here
Heat oven to 400F.
Make Cashew Cream
Blend cashews, lemon juice, pinch of salt, and 2 cups water until completely smooth. No chunks. Set aside.
Cook the Base
Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add enough oil to coat bottom well.
Add onions, chard stems, garlic, and pinch of salt. Cook ~15 minutes until onions turn golden brown and caramelize at edges.
Add chard leaves, cook until wilted – about a minute. Turn off heat and scrape into a bowl.
Build the Layers
Add another good glug of oil to same skillet – coat the bottom.
Layer 1: Arrange squash slices in circles covering bottom. Salt and pepper. Add third of onion mixture. Pour third of cashew cream.
Layer 2: More squash circles, salt, pepper, half remaining onions, half remaining cream.
Layer 3: Last squash, rest of onions, remaining cream. Drizzle more oil on top.
Bake
Scatter breadcrumbs evenly on top.
Bake ~35 minutes at 400F. Crank to 450F and go ~10 more minutes until top browns. Edges will bubble and breadcrumbs turn golden.
Serve
Cool a few minutes then serve warm. Layers should hold when you scoop.
The cashew cream thickens like béchamel as it bakes. Delicata skin is edible – saves all that peeling time. This reheats great the next day.
Chard and Delicata Squash Gratin
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cashews
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Table salt
- Canola oil
- 2 onions sliced
- 1 bunch chard stems sliced, leaves torn
- 4 garlic cloves sliced thick
- 2.5 pounds delicata squash about 2 large, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
- Black pepper
- 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Blend cashews, lemon juice, salt and 2 cups water until completely smooth.
- Heat 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high with oil.
- Cook onions, chard stems, garlic and salt until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- Add chard leaves, cook 1 minute until wilted. Transfer mixture to bowl.
- Add oil to skillet. Layer: squash slices, salt, pepper, 1/3 onion mix, 1/3 cashew cream.
- Repeat layers twice more, ending with cream. Drizzle with oil.
- Top with breadcrumbs.
- Bake at 400F for 35 minutes, then 450F for 10 minutes until browned and bubbling.
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
