Butternut Squash, Apple, and Fennel Tian

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash with a long neck (approximately 2.5-3 pounds)
• 2 large fennel bulbs
• 2 large red baking apples (Jonathan or other tart baking apple)
• 3 large shallots
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided plus 1 teaspoon for the topping
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cut off and peel the long neck of the butternut squash. Cut it in half lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise into ¼ inch half-moon slices. Reserve the lower part of the squash for another butternut squash recipe.

3. Cut off and discard the tops of the fennel bulbs and trim the bottoms. Remove any wilted outer layers.

4. Cut each fennel bulb in half lengthwise (see photo), then slice each half lengthwise into ¼ inch half-moon slices. Try to keep the halves stacked together as much as possible to keep the layers from separating within the slices.

5. Quarter the apples lengthwise and remove the cores. Slice each quarter lengthwise into ¼ inch half-moon-ish slices. Discard the final slice of each quarter that is mostly peel.

6. Peel and thinly slice the shallots crosswise. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 6-8 minutes, until they are soft and the color begins to deepen. Turn down the heat as needed to prevent browning.

7. Transfer the cooked shallots to the bottom of your tian dish and spread them out. I like to use a rectangular ceramic baking dish (I have a 7"X10" dish that this fits in beautifully in two rows), but tians are also beautiful in round or oval dishes, such as a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Allow the shallots to cool for 5 minutes.

   Assemble the tian:

8. Build your tian on top of the shallots by alternating the squash and apple slices, standing up on their straight edge around the edge of the pan, tightly enough to stand up but loosely enough to add the fennel slices.

9. Work in the fennel slices to create an alternating pattern of squash-apple-fennel. Don't worry if some of the slices fall apart.

10. Continue around the edge of the pan and fill in any room in the center or around the edges with the same alternating pattern, squash-apple-fennel. Tuck remaining fennel slices in to tighten up the veggies...it cooks better if it's packed pretty tightly into the dish. The design of your tian can be whatever you would like and whatever works best for the shape of your dish. There is lots of inspiration online!

11. Pour ½ cup of olive oil over the tian, taking care to spread it over as many of the vegetables as possible. Season with ½ teaspoon salt.

    Cooking instructions:

12. Cover the tian with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake 20 minutes more. In the meantime, combine the walnuts and rosemary in a small bowl, and toss with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.

13. Check to make sure the vegetables are just about done by piercing the tian with a small knife. Make sure you pierce through the squash, fennel, and apple. There should be very little or no resistance. If the vegetables still seem pretty firm, let the tian cook another 5-10 minutes and check them again before proceeding.

14. Spread the walnut-rosemary mixture evenly over the top of the tian, and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the walnuts are toasted. Watch carefully to make sure they don't burn. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes