Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the pumpkin in a 7 1/2-cup ovenproof dish and top with the onion. Combine the oil, garlic, and thyme, and add to the pumpkin, and toss until well coated. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pumpkin is soft and tinged with brown. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk and cream until smooth. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and reaches the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, cayenne, and seasoning to taste. Cover the surface with plastic wrap until the pumpkin is tender.

Remove the pumpkin from the oven, pour over the bechamel sauce, and stir until combined. Mix the topping ingredients together with remaining Parmesan and sprinkle over the pumpkin. Return the dish to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 6 servings.

Comments: Somehow it seems apt that pumpkin should be included in the chapter on Provence, as its vibrant orange flesh is so often echoed in the colors of Cezannes evocative paintings of hid native countryside. This is a simple dish, both hearty and comforting, and is ideal for the cooler nights of autumn and winter.

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