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Amy Kinast's 'Woussaka'. --Photo by Amy Kinast

Introduction

A classic Greek moussaka is a baked casserole of layered vegetables and meats. Eggplant and lamb is traditional. Beef, tomatoes, potatoes, and summer squash also regularly appear in the mix. A layer of a white sauce or, my preference, yogurt thickened with egg yolks tops it off. Bread crumbs aid texture.

This is not that. This is Woussaka, the "W" standing for Wisconsin and for winter. Penzey's Tsardust Memories provided the inspiration one blustery February day to cook with my winter squashes stowed from farmers markets of yesteryear. Quantities are flexible I guess because the Tsar has not codified them yet. The main rule is to have at least enough of each layer to cover the surface area of your dish. So a lot depends on the size of the dish. A hint: balance bread crumbs on the bottom of the pan with how much liquid is likely to drain from the other ingredients; for example, more squash, or watery squash will require more bread crumb base. Cold, the next day, this tastes even better than pizza!

Woussaka

Ground lamb or beef chuck
Onion(s)
Penzey's Tsardust Memories seasoning to taste (try starting with 1 tbsp per pound of meat)
A bit more marjoram (Tsardust has some but more green is better - or add minced fresh or dried parsley)
Cayenne - go easy (optional)
Black pepper to taste
Cooked winter squash (I like a light yellow-orange colored one for this, as opposed to the deep orange pie type. I used acorn and sweet dumpling, but there are many lighter-fleshed varieties. Even spaghetti squash might work.)
Bread crumbs
A little oil or butter
Yogurt with egg yolk, or a white sauce (approximately 1 yolk per cup yogurt)
A sprinkle of a paprika

Wash off those dusty squash that have been sitting in the corner of the living room since your last mid-winter squash patrol duty. (This is when you check them over for blemishes and resolve to use those first.) Break the stem off and scrub the skin. Carefully split them in half on the breadboard with a sharp knife. (Scoop out the seeds and set aside.) Cook squash halves either by steaming in a large covered pot with water on the stove, or easier, just baking in the oven on a sheet with the cut side down.

Mince or chop the onion. Heat up a large fry pan and dump in the meat, with a little oil first if necessary. Then, dump the onions in. Get everything nice and cooked without burning (shouldn't be a problem - onions will create liquid) - onions soft and meat not pink. Then, sprinkle your seasonings over. Mix around a bit, then turn heat off and mix well.

Make some breadcrumbs from old bread either by beating it (in a strong bag or between a large kitchen towel) with a wooden spoon, or in the food processor. Toss them in a little oil or melted butter. Divide into two portions. Old sourdough bread is yummy for this.

Mix your yolks with your yogurt. Or, more time consuming, make the white sauce (check a standard cookbook for recipe). A light goat cheese thinned out with cream and a beaten egg might also work. The key to staying with local ingredients is flexibility.

Now what you are waiting for is the squash to get well cooked. Turn on Oprah but turn it off if it's going to take away your appetite. Sip some more beverage. Crack a cold one (a local micro-brew beer) if Oprah's desperate guest reminds you of who's coming to dinner (and accept my sympathies). When squash is cooked, cool it, then scoop out or chop.

Assemble: Grease your pan. Place a layer of one portion of bread crumbs on bottom (to soak up the water that falls out of the yogurt and squash and the grease from the meat). Then, place cooled, de-skinned squash in a layer. Make sure its stringiness is dealt with either by discarding the strings or cutting them into bite-sized segments. Next, a layer of the meat mixture. On top, the yogurt mixture. The remaining bread crumbs will eventually go on top with a little paprika, but you probably want to bake the dish on its own at least halfway first. Bake at 350 degrees until the yogurt is almost set - 20 or 30 minutes.

Set the table. Put out some sliced citrus as a garnish or side dish. Grapefruit is fine. Fresh crusty bread served alongside a dipping sauce of olive oil with herbs is also good.

Remove woussaka from oven and sprinkle crumbs and paprika over top. Bake a little more. When done, remove from oven and let sit several minutes before serving. Try to time it so everyone's at the table by then. Slip the squash seeds (that you've spread into one layer earlier in a separate, oiled, bake-safe dish) into the oven and turn it down to 300 degrees. Have whoever is doing the dishes keep their eye on these and instruct them to shuffle around with the spatula from time to time until crispy. Sometimes with these baked to perfection you could swear you were eating crispy brown sugar!

Amy Kinast sold veggies at the DCFM for a pioneering area organic farmer while a graduate student in the early 1990s and still frequently shops DCFM. The past two years she was assistant manager of the Westside Community Market in Madison. Last year she founded Foodshed Markets, a regional food systems marketing, management, and consulting company. Her writing has appeared in national, regional, and local publications.