Pumpkin, Sage and Leek Lasagne; and A Very Bad Girl!

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I was a bad girl this weekend.

A very bad girl.

I'm likely to be chastised most properly.

What did I do?

I made noise during quiet time.

You remember the leaves that fell on Saturday.

After careful consideration, I realized that my little leaf vacuum was not up for this job.  So mon mari kindly got out the big guy...the Wood Chipper!

After spending the morning raking the leaves into a huge pile on the terrace it was time to make mince of them.

That's when I screwed up.  You see, in my joy at having so many leaves to send to the compost pile, I,  apparently, forgot it was Saturday.  I turned the chipper on at 2:00.

Here, in the back of beyond, the provincial nowhere land, deep in the heart of farm country, out in the sticks, we have quiet time.

We are meant to be quiet between 12:00 and 2:00 Monday through Friday.  It's extended until 3:00 on Saturday, and on Sunday, we can only be noisy between 10:00 and 12:00. 

Food is sacred here in France.  Naturally, mealtime is correspondingly so.  One is meant to spend an hour enjoying the, de rigueur, 3 course meal in peace.  Noise is simply not acceptable.

And then the hard working farmer is expected to have his hour nap before going back to work; this being a rather a good practice, what with the wine and all consumed at lunch.

I disturbed the peace.

Mon mari pointed out that our farmer neighbor often starts his tractor up before 2:00 - but he's the  local farmer, son of our next door neighbor and cousin to the rest of the hamlet.

I, on the other hand, am not.

I'm going to have to apologize.

Maybe I'll take them a Pumpkin Bread.... I have enough in the freezer....

Sigh.....

I did find another use for some of my lovely pumpkin.

Now that winter is upon us it's time for comfort food: Lasagne!

I've seen wonderful pumpkin ravioli recipes on Presto Pasta Nights, founded and hosted by the lovely Ruth, of Once Upon A Feast. 

I thought about it.

Then I thought some more.

I opted for the easy way: lasagne!

Pumpkin, Leek and Sage Lasagne

1 onion
2 leeks
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
1 cup pumpkin (8oz, 250gr)
15 - 20 fresh sage leaves
1 slice deli of baked ham, 8 oz (250gr)
1 tsp butter
1 cup shredded cheese (4oz, 125gr) Swiss, Gruyère, Emmenthal
Béchamel
3 tbs butter
1/4 cup flour, (2oz, 60gr)
2 cups milk - 16 oz, (500ml)

9 - 10 sheets 'no-cook' lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, (1oz, 30gr)

Leeks and Onions:  Thinly slice the onion and leeks.  Heat oil and butter in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add onions, leeks and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute.  Cover the pan, reduce heat to medium low and let the onions and leeks cook for 10 minutes.  Uncover, increase heat to medium and continue to cook until onions are golden and tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the pumpkin and stir well to combine and heat through.
Sage and Ham: Cut the ham into thin strips, then the strips into smaller squares.  In another skillet heat 1 tsp butter.  Add sage leaves and sauté until starting to get crisp.  Add ham and sauté until heated through and dry (it can give off a bit of water).
Béchamel:  In a medium saucepan heat the butter over low heat.  Add flour and stir with a whisk for 1 minute.  Add a little (1/4 cup) of the milk and whisk to combine.  Turn heat up to medium and keep adding milk, a little at a time and whisking.  You should have added all of the milk in a minute or 2.  When all of the milk is in, bring to a boil (should almost be there), whisking.  Then remove from heat.

Now you are ready to assemble: in a 9 - 10" (22 - 25cm) square baking dish, or so...make the following layers:

~1/3 béchamel sauce
~2 noodles, you may have to break a third one up to get good coverage
~1/2 onion, leek, pumpkin mixture
~2 noodles or so
~1/3 béchamel sauce
~all of the ham and sage
~1/2 of the shredded cheese
~2 noodles or so
~1/2 onion, leek, pumpkin mixture
~2 noodles or so
~1/3 béchamel sauce
~1/2 of the shredded cheese
~Parmesan

Cover and bake 425F (215C) for 20 minutes, or until noodles are done.  Test in center with a sharp knife.  Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer to brown cheese.  Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.  Cut into squares (or oblongs) and serve.

Don't forget to search your closet/pantry for skeletons - especially over Thanksgiving.   Remember, confession is good for the soul.  It can be an actual recipe, or just the description of the, um, food or any food and holiday related debacle/story/mishap.... Really, any dirty little secret you feel like sharing!   Click for details!

Come on, tell!  Share the pain...you'll feel better!  And so will we!

There are still a few days left (through the end of this week) to sign up for Seasoned Eatings!  More fun!

Oh, yeah, I have a really, really big compost pile!  And I didn't loose any fingers, or gloves in the chipper.  Did you'all see 'Fargo'?

Don't forget to visit Once Upon A Feast on Friday for all of the yummy pasta dishes.

Comments

[Jeni]

Katie, I slip away from the blog world for a few days and come back to find your blog full of fun and delicious things! That lasagne looks out of this world. Your bloggin event - "Skeletons" - is a very entertaining idea. I can't wait to read that round-up. I will look around for my skeletons! ;-)

[Heidi]

First of all, LOL at your 'disturbing the peace' story. Hope they don't hold it against you! :)

Second, that lasagna looks amazing. Unfortunately, we don't really get pumpkins here in Norway - had a few for Halloween, but that's it. Not even canned :(
It'll have to wait until I get back to Canada in other words!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Heidi

[Katie]

Arfi, you could try making lasange using cooled polenta cakes, sliced thinly...or corn tortillas maybe?!? I'm co-hosting it - want to play????

Shayne, I love to eat...and to cook...but I'll usually take the easy way...

Susan, thanks...we ate the WHOLE thing...

The 'bozo' would have heard a lot of irate shutters slamming.... We can still burn, but the leaves make such good compost... Yeah, I loved Fargo..

Ruth, please, laugh quietly...although, raucus laughter is, apparently, not against the 'rules'

Jeni, come on, you must have SOME little thing you can share...

Heidi, ditto here for the pumpkin - that's why I have to grow my own! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!

[meredith]

I'll be making your lasagne recipe. I froze a bunch of roasted pumpkin purée, but not as much as you did :)

[Lisa]

Oh, for shame! What a racket that must have been! Your story about quiet time is great. It reminds me of how, in the summer, the park district guy takes the opportunity to mow the median dividing our street at dinnertime, without fail. Perhaps I should approach our city council about a quiet-time referendum?!

The lasagna looks fabulous. It could be made with fresh pasta, right? I just got a pasta maker (the hand-crank kind) and I want to try it out soon. I wonder if I would even need to cook the pasta beforehand.

[ejm]

Pumpkin lasagne is the best, isn't it?

Lisa, when we make lasagne, we do not cook our fresh pasta before-hand. We just make sure that the first layer is lying on a thin layer of stock.

-Elizabeth

P.S. Skeletons in my pantry? You must be joking. We never make any mistakes ever. Heh. Or something. (Now, where's that broom for sweeping things under the carpet?)

[Katie]

Meredith, pumpkin freezes so well! And I've really been working at new recipes to use it this fall (you may have noticed) I made gnocchi last night....

Lisa, you would not have to cook the pasta and the sauce is really meant for the no-cook noodles so it should be perfect for un-cooked fresh as well. It has a bit of extra 'moisture' in it, so to speak for the noodles to absorb.

No, no, Elizabeth.... you must sweep them under MY carpet.... These things must be told! Pumpkin lasagne is great!

[Kristen]

I think we could really use a quiet time in the states. I know of a few people who would love it (ME!) and a few people who would have no idea what to do with themselves (MIL).

[Katie]

Kristen, I don't mind it, normally, but in the winter it's usually not warm enough to go outside to work until noon...and it starts getting cold again by 4 so the 2 hours really cuts in!

[rebekka]

Oh my.... I must make that, STAT.

xo
Rebekka

[Katie]

Rebekka, I hope you like it....