• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the garlic and sea salt in a mortar and pestle until it resembles garlic paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add the ginger, freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Use a brush to coat the flesh sides of the squash until they are glossy and well coated. Add more oil as needed.
• Place the sesame seeds on a plate and stir to combine so the black and white sesame seeds are evenly distributed. Using your hands, press the cut-edge of the squash, which you just brushed with the oil mixture, into the seed mixture and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining squash then transfer to the oven.
• Roast for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is very tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before serving with arugula or microgreens, if desired. Finish with a pinch of sea salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place all veggies on top. Drizzle with oil and rub the oil into all of the vegetables until they are all glossy and well coated. Use a fork to poke holes in the sweet potato. Sprinkle the vegetables with sea salt, pepper and cumin. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven.
• Meanwhile, use a citrus zester to zest 2 tsp. from the peels of the blood oranges, then peel and segment them using a small pairing knife. Set the zest and the segments aside.
• The roasting times will vary based on the vegetables. The onions will be done before the beets and sweet potatoes so you can remove the onions from the baking sheet when they are very tender and golden brown, approximately 45 minutes. Keep the beets and sweet potato in the oven for another 15 minutes or until they are very tender.
• Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes or until you are able to peel the skin from the beets and the sweet potato without burning your hands. Discard the skins and slice the beets into quarters.
• Purée the flesh of the sweet potato in a mini food processor until it is creamy and resembles a hummus consistency. Use a large spoon to spread this creamy mixture onto a large serving platter. Top with the roasted vegetables and blood oranges.
• If desired, drizzle with olive oil (I used a basil infused olive oil that I just made, which you can see in the photo above). Garnish with the blood orange zest, pine nuts, fresh rosemary and/or oregano and cumin seeds. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm.
• Store leftovers in a sealed glass container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 x 11 inch baking dish; set aside. Prepare one large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice squash in half lengthwise and drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil using your hands to coat the squash. Add more oil if needed. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and pepper and place cut-side down on the prepared rimmed baking sheet. Make sure to spread out the squash so it's not touching. Roast for 60 minutes or until tender.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil with the red onions and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Caramelize for about 30-35 minutes lowering heat as needed until the onions are very tender and dark golden brown. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower florets on the stovetop over high heat in a steamer basket until very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, finely chop the steamed florets with a sharp knife and set aside.
• In a high-speed blender, add the steamed cauliflower, water, sunflower seeds, 3/4 tsp salt and pepper. Puree until very smooth. Season to taste.
• To toast the quinoa for a topping (optional): Add the quinoa to a large dry skillet, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally, until the quinoa is lightly dried out and toasty, about 12 minutes or until you hear the quinoa popping. Set aside.
• Remove the butternut squash from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Scoop out the flesh with a large spoon and discard the skin.
• Transfer the squash flesh into the base of the prepared baking dish spreading it out to cover the entire surface. Layer the caramelized onions on top followed by the top layer of puréed cauliflower. Transfer to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the toasted quinoa on top, if desired. Scoop with a large spoon and serve warm.
• Store leftovers in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Tart Crust

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 10 inch tart baking dish (see above for the one I use for my tarts) with olive oil. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour with the sea salt. Mix well, then add the oil and mix well until clumps form. Add in the beaten egg and continue to mix well until it resembles a dough consistency. Transfer the dough to the prepared pie dish. Press the dough into the base of the pie dish and up the sides using your fingers until it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle ground cumin on top.
• Use a fork to poke holes in the dough on the base and up the sides to allow for air flow. Transfer to the oven on the rimmed baking sheet for 20 minutes or until golden brown. You will see some of the olive oil bubbling up but don't worry because this crust will be baked once again with the filling inside (I tried baking the crust with less oil and the sides crumbled so the amount of oil called for in this recipe is needed).

Squash Filling

• While the crust is baking, prepare the squash. Slice each squash in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and remove any seeds and discard. Place the four halves on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper face up and drizzle the squash and cavity with olive oil, sprinkle with salt.
• When the crust is finished remove it from the oven and let it sit on the counter to completely cool and harden. Raise the temperature of the oven to 425 degrees F and roast the squash until very tender, about 25-30 minutes. It is important that the squash is very tender and not hard because this is the tart "filling".
• Remove the squash from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Scoop out the flesh using a large spoon and transfer to a small food processor. Purée until smooth and season to taste with salt, if needed. Spoon the squash puree into the pie crust and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for another 25 minutes at 400 F or until the crust is a deep golden brown and the squash is set.
• Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving with fresh sage and/or fresh thyme. Season to taste with salt and serve.
• Store leftover tart slices stacked on top of each other in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month in a sealed glass container.

• In a small food processor, add all ingredients except the tomatoes and peach. Puree until very creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Dollop the avocado mixture onto a serving plate and use the back of the spoon to spread the creamy mixture in a circular motion, leaving about 1 inch on the perimeter of the plate.
• Add the tomato and peach slices, chives and basil. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
• Store leftovers in a sealed glass container for up to 2 days.