Pommes Duchesse. Sounds fancy. Looks fancy. But really, this is simply a fun way of "piping" mashed potatoes into a baking dish, just in time for the Thanksgiving countdown (in my book, never too soon).

These potatoes are an always-requested Thanksgiving staple in our household, and also a perfect accompaniment to any poultry or red meat (as one of our relatives is not fond of turkey). Another regular vegetarian guest annually asks, "You're making the potatoes, right?"

Looking more elegant than regular mashed, they work well for any special occasion, and aren't any more difficult to make. [Ed. note: Don't say this to your guests. Lie. Lie and tell them it took you months to prepare this and those ingrates should kiss the ground you walk on and okay I'll shut up.]

The original recipe calls for piping the potatoes into eight puffs of potato swirls. Those are glorious, and I've made them that way many times, but here I decided to freestyle the swirls and  just make a decorative pattern in the baking dish. Either way you decide to do it, it's good.

If you don't have a pastry bag and a piping tip, just spoon the mashed potatoes into the baking dish and create decorative swirls with the tines of a fork. The end result will still be crispy on the outside and soft and buttery on the inside.

However you decide to present them, Pommes Duchesse will be an impressive addition to any holiday (or everyday) feast.

PS: A year ago we were feeling pretty healthy with this butternut squash soup with red curry croutons (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/butternut-squash-soup-with-red-curry-croutons).

Adapted from: Geoffrey Zakarian, The Kitchen (Food Network)
Number of servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (about 4 medium) russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup heavy cream 
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the baking dish
• 2 egg yolks 
• ½ cup finely grated Gruyere cheese (if you're adverse to Gruyere, try finely grated Parmesan)
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until fork tender, 10-12 minutes. Drain potatoes and then press through a ricer or food mill back into the pot they were cooked in. Place over low heat for a few minutes to dry the potatoes.
2. Heat the cream and ½ stick of the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the butter melts and the cream is warm but not hot. Stir mixture into the potatoes. Mix in the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper. Add cheese and nutmeg.
3. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Grease a medium baking dish with butter.
4. Melt the remaining ½ stick butter in a small pot over low heat (or the microwave).
5. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large-star tip with the mashed potatoes. Into the prepared baking dish, pipe the potatoes in a circular motion, about 3 inches in diameter, starting from the outside and filling in a circle. Finish by piping upwards for a nice swirl on top. Repeat to fill the entire baking dish. Brush each circle with the melted butter.
6. Bake in oven until golden brown, 30-40 minutes.

“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.”
-Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost

As much as the BF is a California Boy, the Oregon Girl in me loves autumn and the color orange. [Ed. note: Well too much orange reminds me of bad 1970s-era San Francisco Giants baseball.]

These golden babies are a marriage of crispy, sweet and slightly spicy flavors. Super healthy, and great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack.

Enjoy!

PS: Last year our beloved chocolate rescue lab Marlowe made her blogging debut with these tasty mini-butterscotch apples (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mini-butterscotch-apples).

Adapted from: Eat Delicious, By Dennis The Prescott 
Number of servings: 3-4 side servings

Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes (garnet yams used here), scrubbed and dried well
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Curry Mayo Dip

• ¾ cup prepared mayo
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons mild yellow curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Halve potatoes lengthwise, then slice into thick cut wedges (about 8 total per potato).
3. Transfer wedges to large bowl, add remainder of sweet potato ingredients, and mix well.
4. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes, turning halfway through, until cooked through on the inside and crispy/slightly charred on the outside.
5. Combine all the mayo dip ingredients in a small serving dish and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings, stir, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

As Tom Lehrer sang a year ago, "Spring is here!" [Ed. note: Check the PPS below for the link.] These beauties are in season all year, but I especially love them in the spring time. Have been known to serve them up as a main dish since they take less than 30 minutes to make, but you'll probably want to have them as a side with...anything.

In our house, we drizzle chimichurri sauce on everything from grilled/roasted beef to lamb, chicken, fish, seafood, rice, quinoa, yams, and veggies. Even eggs or avocado toast. Bright, zesty, addicting.
​
NOTE: I have found tri-color fingerling potatoes and at my local supermarket, but if you can't find them, you can use Dutch baby potatoes or yellow fingerlings.

And finally, a quick side note to nominate the BF for a "BF of the year" award [Ed. note: AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY...], as I have been shuffling around with a slipped disc, unable to lift the 60-pound bins I deliver daily (up and down 3 flights of stairs). He has not only helped me dauntlessly for the past two weeks, but with a smile on his face. Could not have fulfilled the orders without him and, hopefully, this roasted potato side with a prime ribeye was an adequate reward for his efforts. MUAH

[Ed. note: Hey nobody tell her I'm happy to tag along. PRIME RIBEYE, people!]

PS: Think these potatoes are colorful? Well check out these pinkalicious deviled eggs as I re-examine family trauma (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/pinkalicious-deviled-eggs).

PPS: Also high on the color charts are these spice roasted carrots with avocado and yogurt, which we bring to you while (proverbially) poisoning pigeons in the park (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/spiced-roasted-carrots-with-avocado-yogurt).

PPPS: We celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a heartfelt Denis Leary ditty and Bailey's Irish Cream Tiramisu (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/baileys-irish-cream-tiramisu).

Adapted from: A Beautiful Plate (potatoes); The Pollan Family Table (chimichurri), Corky, Lori, Dana and Tracy Pollan
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

• 1 ½ pounds fingerling potatoes (mixture of yellow, red and blue; or use Dutch baby potatoes)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

​Chimichurri Sauce

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ cup finely chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley

Directions
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

1. ​Preheat oven to 450 °F. Rinse and dry fingerling potatoes thoroughly, then slice them in half lengthwise. Toss on a large baking sheet with the olive oil, pepper and salt.
2. Place potatoes cut-side down and spread out evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes.  At this point, potatoes should be sufficiently caramelized, crispy and fork tender. If not, roast for 5 more minutes. Remove potatoes from oven, and place on rack.​

Chimichurri Sauce

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine ⅓ cup extra vergiin olive oil, the lemon juice, vinegar, shallot, garlic and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk until blended.
2. Add the red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper and whisk again.
3. Gently fold in the parsley and set aside.

We're getting deeper and deeper into October (don't know about you, but did this past week feel like a month or what?), which doesn't just bring us closer to my favorite holiday, Halloween, but all the signs are pointing to another very busy Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season. Meaning, with all of the impending insanity, it's always a good idea to have a few "make-ahead meals" on hand to save time on the off nights. Off nights that are better spent curled up with the BF watching a favorite show like Better Call Saul, or the World Series where his team the San Francisc—oh. Sorry. [Ed. note: Twist the knife, why don't you.]

This Moroccan stew is delicous the night it's made, and reheats well for lunches or make-ahead dinners, without losing any of its vibrant cumin, cinnamon and saffron flavors. Colorful and brothy, light and healthy, it's filling without being heavy. 

It's also vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan by replacing butter with olive oil and skipping the yogurt (see note).

Changes made to the original Smitten Kitchen recipe: substituted yams for the plain potatoes (I recommend the dark red Garnet yam variety), and left out the preserved lemon. 
​
The BF loves it over couscous, but I love it on its own. My dinner guests love all the toppings. A supremely versatile dish you can whip out while you prepare for the costumed kids soon to run amok. Amok! Amok! Amok!

Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Number of servings: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, large dice
• ¾ pound Garnet yam, peeled, large dice
• 2-3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I like it brothy)
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 2 pinches saffron threads (don't skip this!)
• 1 cup brined pitted green olives (recommend Cerignola)

Optional Sides & Toppings

• Steamed couscous or quinoa, for serving
• Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish
• Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
• Plain yogurt, for garnish
• Hot sauce of your choice, for serving

Directions

1. Heat (medium heat) butter and olive oil in a 3-4 quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add squash and yams. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir to coat, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in olives. Serve alone or over couscous, quinoa or rice. Garnish with cilantro, almonds, and yogurt if desired.

NOTE: To veganize this, replace the butter with additional olive oil, use vegetable broth and skip the yogurt.

PS: Sweet tooth? Did you miss a year ago when I whipped out the caramel apple cheesecake that destroyed the BF? [Ed. note: And no, she's not kidding.]​ (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/caramel-apple-cheesecake)

PPS:  Amok! Amok! Amok!

One year ago the BF and I did an abbreviated version of Whole30 (we allowed for an exception...or two). He lost 8.5 pounds and thought it was pretty easy to stay on the program. [Ed. note: You give me meat an potatoes and I shall find a way to survive.] I didn't fare that well in the weight-loss department, but it was a terrific reboot, and the real saving grace was the coconut milk sauce I developed that was incorporated into everything. With the exception of Indian and Thai dishes, I rarely used coconut milk. This turned out to be a worthwhile challenge, and the result was a savory sauce that is a brilliant dairy-free option.

Here the coconut milk –infused into a garlic turmeric sauce– is a perfect foil to the crunchy cabbage, spicy chives and crispy skinned potatoes. We actually had this as a main course, but it would work as a side dish for steak, chicken, pork, or any protein. (We are unapolegetic carnivoires.)

We will be hopping on the Whole30 again soon, and certainly will be incorporating this into the process.

Inspired by Dolly and Oatmeal
Number of servings: 2-3 entrees or 4-6 side dishes

Ingredients
Potatoes

• 2 pounds baby Dutch or fingerling potatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
• ¼ cup chives, minced
• Black sesame seeds

Coconut-Garlic-Turmeric Sauce

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder (sweet curry from Penzey's was used here)
• 1 ½ tablespoons grated fresh turmeric or 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (full fat was used)
• 2 teaspoons tahini paste (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Cayenne (to taste) optional

Directions
Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 450 °F. Rinse and dry the potatoes thoroughly, then slice in half lengthwise. Toss on a large baking sheet with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Place potatoes cut side down and spread out evenly on baking sheet. Roast at 450 °F for 20-25 minutes (longer if needed), until potatoes are caramelized, crispy, and fork tender.
3. Place cabbage on platter or in shallow salad bowls. Top with potatoes. Drizzle with coconut sauce and garnish with chives, avocado and black sesame seeds. 

Coconut-Garlic Turmeric Sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Saute shallots and garlic until softened, but not browned. Mix in curry powder and turmeric and saute 1 minute. Whisk in coconut milk and cook for 20 minutes or until it thickens to a gravy-like consistency. Whisk in tahini paste and apple cider vinegar and cook for 1 minute more.
2. Take a hand-held-immersion or standing blender and blend until very smooth. Taste. Add salt and cayenne if needed.