Potato Gratin Torte

To make the crust, in a bowl, combine flour, salt, thyme, and rosemary. Add butter and work it into flour with pastry cutter or pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles fresh breadcrumbs. Combine water, egg, and vinegar. Add to flour mixture and mix until dough sticks together. Form dough into a ball and flatten to form a disk.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll dough disk between 2 sheets of waxed paper until 1/8” thick and 15” in diameter. Transfer crust to an 8” spring form pan. Flatten bottom and fold dough edges under at pan edge. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

Meanwhile, peel potatoes and slice to 1/4″ thickness.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Add cream, thyme, rosemary, and nutmeg into same pan and warm until wisps of steam appear.

Remove crust from fridge and brush bottom and sides lightly with egg. In a small bowl, combine cheeses.

Layer one-third each of Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper in crust. Spread 1/3 of shallot-garlic mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese mixture over shallot-garlic mixture. Pour 1/3 herbed cream mixture over shallot-garlic mixture. Repeat layers twice, pressing layers down slightly to fit. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cover pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes, lower oven temperature to 375° and bake for 1/2 hour. Uncover, brush edges with egg wash, and bake until potatoes are done and crust is browned, 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 15-20 minutes. Place paper towels around pan to soak up any oil.

Carefully transfer to a serving plate and remove sides of pan. Carefully slide gratin off bottom of pan using a long knife or narrow spatula. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Tip: Make 1 to 2 days ahead of time. To reheat, preheat oven to 350°, bake, covered, for 30-45 minutes or until bubbling.

Seared Mushroom Medley

Place mushrooms in a colander and rinse briefly under cool running water. Trim and discard stems and chop mushrooms into large pieces.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to release some liquid. Add garlic and thyme and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pan is dry and mushrooms are browned in spots.

Carefully add brandy, stir, and let completely evaporate. Add cream, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.

South of the Border Stuffing

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, celery, carrots, and corn and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Add chiles, sage, thyme, cayenne, and season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

In a bowl, add 2 eggs and parsley and mix to combine.

In a large bowl, add bread. Pour vegetable-broth mixture over bread. Add pumpkin seeds and toss to coat thoroughly. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown, 30 more minutes.

Lemony Green Beans with Fried Leeks and Pine Nuts

To make gremolata, in bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add all ingredients except red pepper flakes and pulse to combine. Add red pepper flakes and set aside.

Fill a large pot with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add salt and beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let sit for 1 minute. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Zest 1 lemon. Juice both lemons to yield 1/4 cup juice. Slice remaining lemon into wedges.

Cut leeks crosswise into 4” sections, then thinly slice lengthwise into matchsticks.

In a deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil. When oil shimmers, add half of leeks and fry, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and season with salt. Repeat with remaining leeks and drain and discard oil in pan except 2 tablespoons. Wipe out pan with paper towels and add 1 tablespoon butter and a drizzle of canola oil. Add bell peppers and cook until just beginning to get tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In same pan over medium heat, warm oil. Add green beans, lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, just until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and toss to coat. Add reserved bell peppers and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter, top with leeks, pine nuts, and serve with lemon wedges and gremolata alongside.

Cran-Raspberry Sauce

In a medium saucepan over high heat, add cranberries, raspberries, blood orange zest and juice, sugar, dried apricots, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool slightly and remove star anise and cinnamon.

Glazed Carrots with Pancetta

Preheat oven to 400°.

In a rectangular baking dish or rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add carrots and season with salt and pepper. Dot pats of butter over carrots. Sprinkle pancetta, brown sugar, and cumin over carrots.

Roast in oven, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender and pancetta is crispy, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with black pepper before serving.

Kohlrabi Mashers with Chives

In a large pot over high heat, add potatoes, garlic, and a large pinch of salt. Pour enough cold water to cover potatoes by 1”. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 18-20 minutes. Transfer potatoes and garlic to a large bowl. Return water to a simmer, add kohlrabi, and cook until tender, 12-14 minutes. Drain and add to bowl with potatoes.

In a frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add kale in batches until kale starts to wilt, 2-4 minutes. Add to bowl with potatoes and kohlrabi.

Mash potato mixture until smooth. Stir in cream and cream cheese, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chives.

Sweet Potato Towers

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4” thick rounds and set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add rosemary and cook, stirring often, until butter is browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add syrup, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black walnut bitters, and orange zest and stir until smooth.

On prepared sheet, stack 3-4 sweet potato rounds to make 16 rounds. Drizzle 2 teaspoons herbed brown butter mixture over each stack of sweet potato slices.

Cover sweet potatoes with aluminum foil and bake until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 25-30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and discard foil.

Using a small offset spatula or a spoon, transfer potato stacks from pan to a serving platter. Sprinkle with pecans and black pepper. Garnish with rosemary.

Garlic Chinese Long Beans

In a frying pan or wok over medium-high heat, add oil. When oil shimmers, add beans and cook, tossing often, until blistered, about 3 minutes.

Add water, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and soy sauce and cover. Decrease heat to medium and cook beans until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and let cook until liquid evaporates. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, season with salt, and sesame oil and toss to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds.

Shrimp-Stuffed Asian Eggplant

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment, add shrimp and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add salt, cornstarch, sugar, pepper, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, and egg white. Pulse until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl, add green onions and oil and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.

Slice each eggplant on diagonal, about 1 1/2″ thick, then slice a wedge piece through the middle, but not all the way, to create a pocket for shrimp.

Fill each eggplant slice with about 1 tablespoon of shrimp mixture. Repeat until all eggplant slices are filled.

Heat a frying pan or wok over medium-high heat with 1/4”of oil. Working in batches, fry eggplant slices on each side until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer slices to a paper towel-lined plate. Carefully return all eggplant slices to pan, add 1/2 cup water and cover. Steam for 8 minutes, until eggplant is soft and easily pierced with a knife and shrimp is pink and cooked through.

Transfer eggplant to a plate.

In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons of water.

Remove any oil from pan, add sauce and cook until thickened, for 2 minutes. Add garlic and half of green onions to sauce and cook for 1 minute. Arrange eggplant on a platter, drizzle sauce on top and then serve hot.