Potato & Celery Root Gratin with Leeks

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups heavy cream

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 sprig thyme plus 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, divided

• 3 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

• Kosher salt

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8" thick)

• 1 pound celery root, peeled, very thinly sliced crosswise (1/8" thick)

• 2 cups grated Gruyère

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat cream, garlic, and thyme sprig in a medium saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around edge of pan. Remove from heat; set aside to steep.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; season with salt and cook, stirring often, until tender (do not brown), 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

3. Butter a 3-quart gratin dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Layer 1/3 of potato slices and 1/3 of celery root slices evenly over bottom of baking dish. Cover with 1/3 of leeks, then 1/3 of Gruyère. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme leaves. Repeat layers twice more. Strain cream mixture into a medium pitcher and pour over vegetables.

4. Set gratin dish on a large rimmed baking sheet and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Carefully remove foil; continue baking until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, 25-30 minutes.

Beef and Squash Chili

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 dried ancho chile

• 1 dried pasilla chile

• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2" pieces

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 large white onion, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle lager

• 1/2 acorn squash, scrubbed, sliced into thin wedges, then into 1" pieces

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

• Sour cream

• Chopped avocado

• Sliced red onion (for serving)

PREPARATION:

1. Toast chiles in a dry small skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally and pressing down to help them make contact with the pan, until darkened in color and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water; let sit 30 minutes to soften. Drain; remove seeds and stems. Purée chiles and broth in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute.

2. Once chiles have soaked 10 minutes, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Season beef with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. At this point, quite a bit of liquid will have accumulated; continue to cook until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.

3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot, then white onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, 6–8 minutes; onion juices will help loosen anything left on bottom of pot. Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

4. Return beef to pot and add beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost completely reduced, about 4 minutes. Add chile purée, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly thickened and meat is tender, 20–25 minutes. Add squash; cover and cook until tender, 10–15 minutes. Stir in lime juice.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Toss pumpkin seeds and remaining 1 teaspoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool.

6. Serve chili topped with sour cream, avocado, red onion, and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Maple Roasted Chicken with Acorn Squash

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 acorn squash (about 
1 1/2 lb), halved, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch-
thick slices

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

• 3/4 tsp each sea salt 
and ground black 
pepper, divided

• 4 large boneless chicken thighs (about 1 lb), trimmed

• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 tbsp coarsely 
chopped garlic

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, toss squash with oil; spread in a single layer on a large rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange onion wedges around squash. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper over vegetables. Bake for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in same bowl, toss chicken with maple syrup, rosemary, garlic and remaining 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.

3. Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Place chicken on same baking sheet on top of squash and onions. Pour any remaining syrup mixture from bowl over chicken. Return to oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the largest thigh registers 165°F, 25 to 30 minutes. Baste chicken once or twice during baking time using juices from bottom of baking sheet.

Roasted Fennel Pasta with Ricotta

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 ounces fresh linguine

• 1 fennel bulb

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• ⅓ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

• 3 cloves garlic minced

• 1 lemon zested and quartered

• ¼ cup chopped parsley

• 1 shallot minced

• ¼ cup breadcrumbs

• Salt and Pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.

3. Pick off and mince a few of the fennel fronds. Cut off and discard the fennel stems. Halve and core the fennel bulb; slice into ½-inch-thick strips. Place the sliced fennel on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss thoroughly to coat. Arrange in a single layer and roast, 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and golden.

4. While the fennel roasts, combine the ricotta cheese and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and half the parsley. Cook until fragrant and softened. Add the breadcrumbs and toast over medium heat, until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan.

6. In the now clean skillet, combine lemon zest, juice of remaining two lemon wedges, ½ cup water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil; heat to boiling on high heat and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

7. Boil the pasta until just short of al dente. Reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and add it to the skillet of sauce. Add the roasted fennel, minced fennel fronds and reserved cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is well coated in the sauce.

8. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste, top with breadcrumb mixture, a dollop of the ricotta mixture, and remaining chopped parsley.

Slow-Cooked Acorn Squash with Sage and Thyme

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, sliced crosswise ½" thick

• ½ head of garlic

• 2 sprigs sage

• 2 sprigs thyme

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• ¾ tsp. kosher salt

• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

PREPARATION:

1. Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°. Toss squash, garlic, sage, thyme, oil, and salt in a shallow 2-qt. baking dish to combine.

2. Turn garlic cut side down, then roast vegetables, tossing 2 or 3 times, until golden brown, very tender, and edges and cut sides are crisp, 60–70 minutes.

3. Let cool slightly, then add vinegar and toss to coat.