Patty Pan Mock Apple Pie

My good friend, Linda, provided this wonderful recipe. Try it!

Pie Filling:
5 to 6 or nice sized Patty Pan Squash
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar or sweetener (to taste. I use the full cup because I like things sweet)
2 tbls honey (optional)
Enough water to help to "steam" the squash before adding the other ingredients.

Crisp Topping:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup oatmeal
1 stick melted butter
1/2 cup sugar or sweetener
1 tsp baking powder
Cinnamon and/or Apple Pie Spice to taste

Directions:
Peel, seed and slice the patty pan into slices that look like thin apple slices.
In large frying pan add patty pan and enough water to half way cover the squash, cover and simmer until squash starts to get soft. Add water if needed until the squash starts to get soft. but make sure you leave some water in the pan, about 1/2 cups worth, when squash is soft make the sauce.
Add melted butter, vanilla, sugar or sweetener and honey (if using) to the pan and continue to cook on low heat until it starts to get browned and bubbly and thickens up. Add more water if the sauce starts to get too thick.
While this is cooking down, mix the almond flour, oatmeal, melted butter, sugar or sweetener, baking powder, and spices until a crumbly mixture forms. Add a little cream or water if you think it's too thick.

Once patty pan is cooked down and soft, and sauce is thickened put in a buttered or cooking sprayed pie pan, then add the crumble mixture on top. Spray with cooking spray and put in a 325 degree oven until bubbly and the crumble mixture on top getting golden.

Serve hot with ice cream or warm/cold with whipped cream topping of choice

My First Husband's Marinara Sauce

3.5 lbs. fresh tomatoes, cut and seeded (or 2 28 oz. cans of whole tomatoes)
1 very large white onion, minced
1 clove elephant garlic (or a whole bulb of regular garlic), minced
1/4 cup of oregano
1/4 cup of basil
1/4 to 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese, finely grated or powdered
olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of a stew pot
salt & pepper
crushed red pepper flakes (1-2 tsp.)

Heat oil, add onion, let simmer until translucent. Add minced garlic until the point where it is almost turning brown. Dump in fresh tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer at a vigorous simmer until tomatoes begin to break down. Mash them as they do so. Once a sauce begins to form and reduce to a thicker consistency, add seasonings and continue to simmer. This process can take an hour or so. Be patient.
You can puree the sauce with an immersion blender if so desired. This is a marinara not spaghetti sauce, so it won't be thick and dense. It is light and lovely.