PUMPKIN SEASON : Pumpkin and eggs gratin with spring onions, herbs and cheese

Pumpkin, surely the star of this month for the Americans but very popular as well to other nations around the world during the cold Winter months. Quite a versatile vegetable since it can be used in so many sweet and savoury dishes. Like this gratin for example which you can serve as a first or side dish, or as a light meal for a tasty Sunday brunch. Easy to prepare and with nice and simple ingredients you can think of it as an oven omelette or a type of soufflé... It is really tasty and the rather distinctive taste and aroma of the pumpkin comes to a nice balance with the rest of the ingredients without dominating the final flavour 

Recipe of Efi Yialoussi,

"Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 6 people):
1Kg of pumpkin (net weight after peeling)

5 Spring onions, finely chopped (both the white and tender green part)

1 yellow onion, grated

8 eggs

1 tea-cup of Greek Graviera cheese, grated (or other similar cheese)

4-5 tbsp fresh spearmint leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tea-cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp of butter

salt
black pepper
Greek aged (dried) Myzithra cheese, grated to sprinkle (or parmesan)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 130°-150°C. Generously brush with the butter the bottom and the sides of a round oven pan (or pyrex dish) of 30 cm diameter.

Cut the peeled pumpkin into cubes of 2 cm and season with salt. *** In case you prefer a more subtle presence of the vegetable in your mouth you have the alternative to roughly grate it

In a non-stick frying pan warm the oil in medium-high heat and sauté the pumpkin for about 10-15 minutes, gently stirring with a wooden spatula, until it is wilted and golden on all sides.

Add in the pan the Spring onions and the yellow onion, sauté for another 5-6 minutes and then take the pan off the heat.

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and then pour over the sautéed vegetables in the pan. Add the grated cheese, the spearmint, season with salt and pepper and gently stir.

Empty the mixture into the oven dish and put in the oven. Cook, in low temperature, for about 40 minutes until golden on the surface and lightly crispy.

Take out of the oven, sprinkle on top with the Myzithra cheese and serve while it is still hot directly off the pan with a spoon.