Acorn Squash and Swiss Chard Galette

I’ve been coming down with some crud all week, and it finally hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. It started with a scratchy throat, which quickly transpired into a stuffy nose, and then evolved into a full-blown cold.

I can’t smell a thing. I’ve been doping myself up with sinus medicine all day. I don’t have a fever (yay!), so I’m thinking it’s just a run-of-the-mill cold. I didn’t sleep very well last night (hence the pile of tissues by my bed) and then was rudely awoken this morning.

Let me correct myself: I was jolted awake this morning.

A small shaking began at around 7am. That “small shaking” turned into a violent tremor. I woke up and immediately looked at Rob, who was wide awake too. I asked him, “is that you? Are you shaking your foot?”

No. The answer was no, he was not shaking his foot. Instead, the earth itself was shaking its foot.

We had just felt Oklahoma’s largest earthquake on record (actually tied with a ‘quake from 2011). The trembling lasted a solid minute, and scared the living hell out of us.

5.6. That was the magnitude. 5.6. A quake that killed 90 people in Italy a few weeks back was a 6.2. Only .6 away from what we had. Wow.

Rob and I both couldn’t go back to sleep, so we started our day. I desperately needed to go to the grocery store, but felt absolutely horrible. This cold has been kicking my butt.

I still managed to whip some things up today, so I could keep the momentum going for Squash September. It would probably be best that nobody but I eat the leftovers, though…

Anyway—here’s the fourth (wow! Already to 4 recipes!) installment of my annual Squash September. Acorn squash is the star again, here, because who doesn’t love acorn squash?!

Step-By-Step Instructions

Brush acorn squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast acorn squash halves in a 400 degree oven. Meanwhile, caramelize the onions: In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and salt, stir and cook for 5 minutes. Set heat to low and cover and cook for another 30 minutes or until onions are lightly brown.

Push the onions to the side and add some more olive oil. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add chard leaves and cook for a few minutes until wilted.

Add cilantro, queso fresco, raisins, and pine nuts and stir until well combined. Add the squash halves.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough into a 16″ in diameter circle. Transfer to a greased baking sheet and add the onion-squash filling, leaving a 1-2″ border of dough around the filling.

Fold the dough onto the filling in loose pleats. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

This savory galette is actually pretty sweet—what with the acorn squash and raisins in the filling. This would make a really pretty appetizer for a dinner party that would definitely get all of the “ooh’s” and “ahh’s”!