Pumpkin~ leek & goat cheese gratin

1 Serving

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 pounds Sugar pumpkin
2 mediums Leeks
1 Yellow onion
2 Cloves garlic; peeled
1 cup Young goat cheese; crumbled
2 cups Milk;*
4 Sprigs thyme

Directions

* or 1 cup each milk and cream for a richer gratin Preheat oven to 375 F. Peel pumpkin, quarter, remove seeds and strings. Slice into ¼-inch thick "planks" and set aside.

Trim leeks, remove tough outer leaves, and wash free of all dirt.

Slice across in thin julienne strips. Peel, halve and julienne the onion, and slice the garlic thinly.

Saute the leeks, onion and garlic together in olive oil until tender.

Season well with salt and pepper.

In the bottom of an oiled 10-inch gratin dish, scatter some of the leek mixture around. Evenly lay the pumpkin slices over the leeks, completely covering the surface. Scatter more of the leek mixture over the pumpkin and dot with crumbled goat cheese. Season with salt, pepper and chopped thyme leaves. Moisten with the milk. Repeat this until layers fill the dish; then add enough milk to submerge the ingredients completely.

Cover and bake on a sheet for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Carefully pour off the excess milk and dot the surface of the gratin with more goat cheese. Place under the broiler for a few minutes until the surface is lightly browned.

From Mark Lusardi, executive chef, Vertigo Source: San Francisco Examiner, October 25, 1996

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