from Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters

5 medium russet potatoes
10 medium turnips
butter
salt and pepper
2 cups heavy cream or 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and slice the potatoes 1/4 inch thick, with a knife or on a mandolin, and put them in a bowl of cold water to prevent them from discoloring.

Peel the turnips if their skin is tough and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 by 12-inch bakind dish. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. Later the potatoes and turnips alternately in the abkind dish, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour in enough of the cream, or half cream and half chicken stock, to barely cover the vegetables. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Rotate the dish periodically for even browning.

originally served at the Inaugural Dinner, 2009

(serves 10 - 12 people)

5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
6 large eggs, beaten
3 - 4 cups Panko bread crumbs
peanut oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Place potatoes in cold water and boil until soft and mashable. Add the cream and melted butter. Add a couple of dashed of salt and pepper. Mash until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning. Place in refrigerator for at least 6 hours, until completely cold.

Heat oil to 375 degrees. While oil is heating, form mashed potatoes into uniform-sized balls, just a bit smaller than a ping pong ball. Roll each ball into the egg to coat. Gently shake off excess. Next, roll in Panko bread crumbs and drop into oil. Fry until golden brown. Season with salt upon taking balls out of the oil.

These can be made ahead of time. Just heat them in a 375 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

For a twist, try dipping in a spicy ketchup or pesto mayonnaise.



from Fresh Everything by Sara Foster

4 ears sweet corn, in the husk
1 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes (6-7) cored & quartered
1 lb. small red or white potatoes (4-6) halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 TB. balsamic vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 oz. spinach washed, stems removed & drained
10 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Soak the unshucked corn in the sink or a big bowl full of cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the tomatoes, potatoes and onion slices on a bakeing sheet with sides. Drizzle with the olive oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally for even browning, until the potatoes are golden brown and soft to the squeeze, or tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the corn from the water, place it on a baking sheet with sides and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the kernels are tender but still crisp to the touch. Cool slightly.

When the corn is cool, pull off and discard the silks and husks. Cut the kernels off the cob straight into a large bowl. Add the spinach and scrape the roasted tomatoes, potatoes and onion, including any liquid, onto the spinach. Cover the bowl tightly with foil and let the vegetables rest, covered for 5 to 8 minutes, to wilt the spinach. Add seasoning. Add basil and toss gently before serving.