Roasted Delicata Crostini

FOR THE BALSAMIC REDUCTION: Slowly simmer balsamic vinegar until its volume is reduced by half. Your house will smell like vinegar but it is a very small price to pay. It took 1.5-2 hours for this volume but you can do a smaller amount since only a few tablespoons are used on the crostini. I purposely made extra so I can have it anytime I need it. The end result should be syrupy and readily coat the back of a spoon.

FOR THE CROSTINI: Preheat oven to 400˚F. Brush both sides of each slice of bread with olive oil. Sprinkle each slice with a bit of coarse salt. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, turning them over once (about 8-12 minutes total). There you have it, simply seasoned fancy toast.

FOR THE CARAMELIZED ONIONS: Slice the onion. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and then add the sliced onion. Saute over medium-low heat stirring occasionally, until they are golden. Depending on the heat and the onions themselves it will take about 30 minutes. Take it slow and you won’t burn the onions. If you are like me and like the results but not the time it takes, then caramelize a lot of onions keeping 1/2 cup for the Delicata and storing the rest for whenever you want to use them.

FOR THE TOPPING:
Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Prepare the Delicata by slicing it in half, removing the seeds and rind. Dice the remaining squash into bite sized cubes (I went with about 1/2 inch cubes).

Toss together the squash, garlic, sage, and enough olive oil to thinly coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread evenly on a sheet pan and roast for 20-30 minutes. I just keep an eye on it and set the timer as a reminder to check. You want to pull it out when the squash has just become soft (which is a good excuse to taste a lot of samples).

Gently place squash in bowl and toss in the caramelized onions. Now’s a good time to taste for adequate seasoning as well. If you have the balsamic reduction nearby add it to a tasting sample and determine whether you need more salt or pepper. That way it shouldn’t end up over-seasoned. At this point you can cover and store the squash in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the crostini.

An hour or two before you will be serving you can assemble the crostini. All you have to do is gently place the squash on each piece of toast and then add a few drops of balsamic reduction on top of the squash. Now the best part of this recipe: Eat it.