Featured Recipe
Butternut Tartines Agrodolce
By Kate
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Sliced butternut roasted with olive oil, layered on toasted multigrain bread with sharp cheddar. Topped with peppery arugula, shallots, and a tangy agrodolce sauce with cider vinegar, pumpkin seeds, golden raisins, capers, crushed chili, and maple syrup, finished with butter. Roasting and sauce simmering timed to bring out cider and sweet notes. Roasting brightens the squash and softens edges, sauce thickens to syrup consistency. Assembly quick, tartines warm, contrast of textures and savory-sweet balance stands out. Modified quantities for milder roast and richer sauce with hazelnuts instead of pumpkin seeds and dried apricots replacing raisins, plus a hint of smoked paprika.
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Prep:
35 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
60 min
Serves:
4 servings
vegetarian
fall recipes
butternut squash
cheddar
agrodolce
Introduction
Butternut squash sliced thick, roasted with light olive oil coating, edges caramelize, inside softens but keeps shape. Sharp cheddar on toasted multigrain bread, roquette peppery freshness layered in. Shallots thin and crisp. The sauce—an agrodolce twist—simmered cider vinegar, sweet maple, chopped hazelnuts for crunch swapped in for pumpkin seeds, apricots instead of raisins for different fruity tone. A pinch of chili flecks and smoked paprika for heat and smoke. Sauce coats tartines, a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, nutty. Quick departures in the quantities mellow the roast and enrich the sauce. Timing adjusted to get squash tenderness right as sauce thickens to perfect gloss. Assembly fast, serve warm.
Ingredients
= Sauce =
- 2 small shallots finely chopped
- 30 ml olive oil
- 100 ml apple cider vinegar
- 35 g hazelnuts chopped roughly
- 30 g dried apricots chopped
- 15 ml capers
- 1 ml crushed chili flakes
- 45 ml maple syrup
- 40 g butter
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
About the ingredients
Using a medium butternut, slice uniformly around 6 mm thick so roasting is even. Olive oil amount reduced slightly to avoid sogginess but enough for caramelization and flavor. Bread multigrain, thicker sliced for sturdiness under moist toppings. Sharp cheddar slices at room temp prevent stiffness in layering. Roquette adds a peppery freshness and brightens heaviness. For sauce, stick to fine chop shallots to soften quickly, regular cider vinegar reduces well to tangy base. Hazelnuts chosen instead of pumpkin seeds for deeper, earthier crunch; roughly chopped keeps texture. Dried apricots swap in for raisins for a honeyed, floral note, soak slightly or chop finer if very dry. Capers still add brine punch, chili flakes and smoked paprika introduce heat and smokiness layering complexity. Maple syrup maintains balance, butter glossy finish, salt last for precise savory control.
Method
= Roasting =
- Preheat oven to 220 C (430 F). Arrange two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Slice butternut into 6 mm slices. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper. Spread evenly on sheets, separate slices.
- Roast 25 minutes, turning once halfway. Aim for tender with caramelized edges but not mushy.
- While squash roasts, heat olive oil in small saucepan over medium. Sweat shallots until lightly golden, around 5 minutes. Pour vinegar in, simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add hazelnuts, apricots, capers, chili flakes. Stir a minute to mix. Pour in maple syrup. Simmer 5 minutes to thicken into syrup. Stir in butter, smoked paprika till sauce is smooth and glossy. Salt to taste.
- Place toasted bread on plates. Layer two slices cheddar on each. Add handful of arugula, then roasted squash slices, then thin shallots.
- Drizzle hot sauce generously over the top. Serve immediately so cheddar just melts, sauce warm.
- Notes: roasting time slightly longer to deepen squash flavor. Sauce reduction aims for syrup cling. Hazelnuts give crunch, apricots a different sweet note versus raisins. Smoked paprika adds smoky warmth.
= Sauce =
= Assembly =
Technique Tips
Set two racks in oven, roast squash on two lined pans separated for even heat and air circulation. Flip halfway through the 25 minutes to prevent burning on one side. Watch closely last 5 minutes for slight browning without burning. Sauce cooks while squash roasts—start by gently sweating shallots until golden but not brown to deepen sweetness. Reduce cider vinegar by half to trap acidity but leave brightness. Add chopped hazelnuts and apricots quickly stir so they soften but hold shape. Simmer with maple syrup stirring till syrupy, adjust heat lower if sugar cracks. Butter beaten in off heat for shine and texture, add smoked paprika stirred well to blend. Salt carefully; capers and nuts bring saltiness. For tartine building: warm toast; layer cheddar slices immediately for melt. Arugula under squash keeps green fresh and moist. Drizzle sauce hot, so cheddar softens but bread stays crisp underneath. Serve directly, don’t preassemble too early or bread soggy.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Slice butternut squash even, around 6 mm thick. Achieves even roast. Watch for caramelization. Don’t let them mush up. Olive oil? Just enough. Keeps them from sticking.
- 💡 Use sharp cheddar at room temperature. It layers nicely. Cold cheese? No good. Stiff, hard to layer. Toast bread well. Needs to hold toppings without getting soggy.
- 💡 Leave some crunch. Hazelnuts instead of pumpkin seeds. They provide earthy flavor. Apricots for sweetness, swap raisins. Dried apricots can be dry—chop finer.
- 💡 Warm the sauce. Drizzle immediately. Let the cheddar melt slightly. Make sure it binds to the bread. Serve hot. Don't wait too long before serving.
- 💡 Check roasting time. Squash should be tender but not too soft. Flip halfway through cooking. Keep an eye near end; some might brown more.
Kitchen Wisdom
How can I reheat leftovers?
Use oven for even heating. Short time, low temp. Can microwave, but soggy bread issue. Adjust moisture levels for crispiness.
Can I swap out hazelnuts?
Yes, walnuts or pecans work. Different flavor though. Consider skipping or nut-free options for allergies.
What if sauce is too thick?
Add a splash of water. Stir to combine. Adjust heat down if it ends up cracking. Careful, the balance matters.
How to store tartines?
Store components separately. Bread sogs up. Fridge for sauce, airtight for squash. Assemble fresh, flavor best that way.
