Sweet Potatoes Almondine

4 large sweet potatoes
4 tbsp butter or margarine
2/3 cup milk or soy milk
¼ tsp salt
½ cup brown sugar
 ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ cup slivered almonds
4 tbsp butter or margarine

Cook, peel, and mash sweet potatoes. Add 4 tbsp butter, milk and salt. Spoon into greased casserole dish.  Cream together brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, almonds and 4 Tbsp butter. Spread over sweet potatoe mixture.  Bake at 350 until heated through and topping has melted

Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts

1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces (or keep long)
2 TBSP minced fresh parsley
4 tsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp. grated lemon peel
½ tsp. salt (optional)
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to a boil.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Drain and immediately place beans in ice water.
Drain and pat dry.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the parsley, olive oil, lemon peel, salt and pepper.
Pour over beans; sprinkle with pine nuts.
Toss to coat.

Can be made a few hours ahead of time and refrigerated.

Grandpa Matt Thommes's Potato Pancakes

Ali digging her potato pancakes

Posted by Nancy for Grandma B.  When Grandpa Matt Thommes told Grandma Agnes that her potato pancakes weren't as good as his mothers she told him he could make them then - and from that point on he always make them according to Grandma Betty Berlin.  During Lent when they couldn't eat meat, potato pancakes, eggs or fish were the traditional Friday night supper.


2 c grated raw grated potatoes - force out liquid in colander or dish towel
1/4 c milk
2 Tbsp chopped green or regular onions
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
Salt and pepper to taste


Put the grated potatoes immediately into the milk to prevent them from turning dark.  Drain milk and add well beaten egg.  Add flour and just enough milk to make stiff batter.  Season with salt and pepper and onions.  Drop large spoonful into hot  in oil in frying pan.  Cook until brown and crisp.  Serve with applesauce.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Another Moosewood favorite. Nancy.

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/2-3/4 inches thick

Salt

2 c ricotta cheese

2 eggs

1/4-1/2 c Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley

Olive oil to brown eggplant

2 c tomato sauce (if your cheating Muir Glen Organic with Italien herbs is good)

1/2 lb Mozorella ( I used half Parmesan)

Salt eggplant and drain in colander 30 minutes (this really added flavor.) Combine ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Brown the eggplant (do not fully cook) in oil and drain on paper towel. Pour 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce on the botom of a large baking pan and then place one layer of eggplant. Put a tablespoon of ricotta mixture on each eggplant slice and then sprinkle 1/3 of cheese on top all slices. Place the second layer of eggplant and layer the remaining ricotta, tomato sauce and cheese on top. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly. Let the dish 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Peppers and Onions with Feta

1 Sweet Potato
1/2 Butternut Squash
2 Red Peppers
1/2 Bermuda Onion
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Feta Cheese

Chop the sweet potato and squash in 3/4 inch cubes. Cut the pepper and onion in 1 inch pieces. Toss the roots in 1-2 tbsp olive oil and place in a bowl. Toss the pepper and onion with mixture of about 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and marinade about an hour. Warm your grill (or I imagine you could roast in the broiler or oven...) and roast the roots till soft (about 10-15 minutes) and remove from grill. Grill the peppers and onions (about 5 minutes). Both will have slightly blackened edges and taste so sweeeeeeet!

Blend the grilled items in a serving bowl and sprinkle with feta.

Potatoes Three Ways

Like any vegetable, if you want delicious potatoes, grow them, go to farmers markets or purchase them mid summer to fall.  I have just recently noticed that potatoes have a prime time - they do store well, but don't taste near as good in winter or spring .  Nancy.


Mashed Potatoes - Boil in salted water until they can be pierced with a fork.  Add just a little butter an milk and perhaps a clove or two of garlic or chives and mash with a potato masher.


Roasted Potatoes - Cube potatoes, sweet potatoes and beets and toss in a light layer olive oil with slat and pepper.  Place in vegetable basket if grilling or on cookie sheet if baking in a 400F oven.  Bake until they are soft when pierced with a fork (about 20-25 minutes usually) and if they do not have golden brown edges they are best if you put them under a broiler a few minutes.


Oven fries -  (The best excuse to eat catsup!) Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inche rounds or in long 1/2 inch thick slices and toss in a couple tbsp of olive oil.  Place in single layer on cookie sheet.  Generously sprinkle with kosher salt and a little bit of pepper.  Bake at 400F for 20-15 minutes until crispy on the outside but still soft on inside.  Sweet potatoes are good this way too.