Rebound

I made something so blatantly awful a week ago that I was dismayed and discouraged from cooking all together for at least a few days. Before that, however, I was in Santa Fe with a large amount of family. So I do apologize for my absence if it was at all felt.

In other news, my time in New York City is winding down and I must say I’m facing my departure bittersweetly. On one hand, I am not sorry to say good bye to Chinatown or to the very obnoxiously self important security guards that are responsible for my admission to my own dorm. I admit, as charming as the subways are in summertime, I also will not miss stepping out of a 6 train into a wall of sauna-appropriate air. However obviously – I will miss the food. The food that has drained my bank account and padded my well…you don’t need to know about that.

So back to cooking, as I said, I was disheartened by the wild mushroom gnocci I wanted so badly to be delicious but was, in fact, an absolute disaster. Even my favorite cooking blog couldn’t cheer me up or inspire me to culinary greatness. That is, until, I spotted the most beautiful thing I’d laid eyes on in weeks – A Summer Squash and Potato Torte laden with scallions. My. Favorite. Thing. Ever. Seriously, I will order something on a menu just because it has scallions.

It was a beautiful looking little veggie dish that looked easy and had an ingredient list that was, surprisingly, comprised of things that I have in my very small pantry. So, in an effort to save money I stopped by the Union Square Farmers market on Saturday and picked up the potatoes and squash for a mere $3 total and headed home to bake me a torte.

It came out perfectly. So perfectly in fact that I just, tonight, after having also brown (well, Barneys) bagged it for lunch, finished eating the last slice of it. It was so pretty and yummy I think it will have to become my standard “Let me impress you!” side dish/appetizer at any forthcoming event upon which I am called to cook. So, without further adieu, the dish that revived my confidence and convinced me that I can still whip something up with success now and then.

Perfect Potato and Summer Squash Torte

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
3 yellow crookneck squash or regular yellow summer squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
6 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter 2 8-inch diameter cake pans.

1. Toss green onions, cheese, flour, thyme, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend.
2. Layer 1/6 of potatoes in concentric circles in bottom of 1 prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Layer 1/4 of squash in concentric circles atop potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Repeat with second pan.
3. Repeat with 1/6 of potatoes, then 1/4 of squash and 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture. Top with 1/6 of potatoes. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle with 1/6 of cheese mixture and press gently to flatten. Continue repeating until you run out of veggies/cheese mixture or you get to the top of your pan.
4. Cover pan with foil. Bake until potatoes are almost tender, about 40 minutes. 5. Remove foil; bake uncovered until tortes begin to brown and potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes longer.