Dim Sum Sunday - Pumpkins/Squash

So many choices of squash and pumpkins to choose from. Don't mind the funky gourds, I decided to use that lovely acorn squash along with a butternut squash to try a recipe I hadn't made before. I turned to one of my favorites when it comes to simple fresh cooking.
I toyed with the Squash Ravioli but instead decided on the Butternut Squash Pizza. No link this time so here's the recipe:

Butternut Squash Pizza

1 butternut squash
¼ c. grated mozzarella cheese
Olive oil
¼ c. grated Gruyere cheese
Salt and Pepper
12 sprigs parsley
2 cloves garlic
20 sage leaves
Pizza dough for 1 pizza
½ lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the butternut crosswise just above the bulge. Cut off the top about ½ below the stem and the bottom as well. Peel the two squash pieces. Cut both pieces lengthwise and then cut ¼ inch slices (after removing seeds from bottom half). You will have half moons for the upper part, and elongated C shapes from the bottom half. Brush the slices with olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast about 30 minutes or until the slices are lightly browned and tender to the touch.

Meanwhile, peel and chop fine the garlic and add to about ¼ c. olive oil. When the squash slices are done, remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 450 to 500 degrees. Brush the prepared pizza crust with the olive oil and garlic, and sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella and Gruyere. Arrange the slices of cooked squash over the cheese. Bake the pizza for about 10 minutes, until the crust is browned and the cheeses have melted. While the pizza is baking, chop the parsley leaves. Fry the sage leaves briefly in hot olive oil, then drain them on an absorbent towel. When the pizza is done, garnish with the sage leaves, the chopped parsley, and a squeeze of lemon.

The only change I made was adding sliced baked acorn squash to the butternut squash. I made my own pizza crust because I think it tastes so much better. I resorted to a pizza pan instead of cooking it directly on my pizza stone so I could more easily share the photos of the finished pie. I had my doubts about enjoying this pizza. I'm a classic thin crust, deeply flavored tomato sauce, cheese with pepperoni kinda gal. I'm not much for white pizzas. If there's no tomato sauce baked into that delicious thin crust where do you get the umami flavor?More than plenty umami going on here. The squash is tender and just a little bit sweet but melds so nicely with the tangy cheese (and under layer of bits of garlic) with the fried sage. Make sure you use the best olive oil for all parts of this recipe, it makes a huge difference and is an integral part of the flavor profile. Don't punk out on the fried sage and sprinklings of parsley, it's delicious. It's a wonderfully bright fresh taste and certainly a change from my normal pizza routine. An excellent fall feast.

Dim Sum Sunday - Pumpkins/Squash

Our last Dim Sum Sunday - Pie had some really great participation. All the pies set my mouth to watering. Let's check them out.
Dani at Gardening Under the Florida Sun gave us a wonderfully rustic Apple Galette.La Diva at La Diva Cucina makes a break from the land of Key Lime to make a beautiful Banana Cream Pie.Buzz of Buzzkill finally narrows down his Pie As Food Group to give us a old family favorite, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie. Hey, the Boy likes it!Troll of The Troll Report gives us something totally new with his Carambola Pie that tastes just as good as it smells.

Thanks so much everyone for your pies, I would have had a hard time choosing which one I would want to try first and that means a lot.

It's October, Halloween is coming and I can't resist all the beautiful all the pumpkins and squash. So take your pick for the this Dim Sum Sunday - Pumpkin/Squash. Maybe continue the pie mojo, maybe a little pumpkin ravioli, or even Butternut Squash Risotto. Go Pumpkin Thumping Crazy.
Dim Sum Sunday is open to anyone and everyone. Make a dish with the ingredient or theme in mind (or enjoy a restaurant doing all the work for you) take a picture of your hard work, post it on your blog and come back here this coming Sunday and tell us you're ready to share and we'll digitally run right over and wish we had been at your house to call dibbs on seconds.

See you all Sunday.