Plum Tart

(Makes one 9½-inch tart)

2 cup	all-purpose flour
¾ cup	finely chopped walnuts
¾ cup	light brown sugar, lightly packed
12 tablespoons	cold unsalted butter (1½ sticks), diced
1	egg yolk
2 pounds	firm, ripe Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, walnuts, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and the egg yolk. Mix, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until crumbly.

Press 1½ cups of the crumb mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9½-inch springform or tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin-side down, to form a flower pattern; begin at the outside and work your way in.

Sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer the tart to a flat plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Smashed Sweet Potatos with Apples

(You can use marshmallows instead of apples for topping.)
(Serves 8)

4 pounds	sweet potatoes (about 6 large)
½ cup	freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup	heavy cream
4 tablespoons	unsalted butter (½ stick), melted
¼ cup	light brown sugar
1 tablespoon	ground nutmeg
½ tablespoon	ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons	kosher salt
1 teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
~ For the topping ~
3 tablespoons	unsalted butter
3	McIntosh or Macoun apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eights
3 tablespoons	light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes, prick them several times with a knife or fork and bake them for 1 hour, or until very soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and scoop out the insides as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth, pour into a baking dish.

For the topping, melt the butter in a skillet oven medium-high heat. Add the apple wedges and brown sugar and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides. Place on top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake the potatoes and apples for 20-30 minutes, until heated through.

Spinich Gratin

(Serves 8)

4 tablespoons	unsalted butter (½ stick)
4 cups	chopped yellow onions (2 large)
¼ cups	all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon	grated nutmeg
1 cup	heavy cream
2 cups	milk
About 3 pounds	frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 10-ounce packages)
1 cup	freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tabelspoon	kosher salt
½ teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
½ cup	grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened.

Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Perfect Roast Turkey

(Serves 8)

1	fresh turkey (12 pounds)
	Kosher salt
	Freshly ground black pepper
1	large bunch of fresh thyme
1	lemon, halved
3	Spanish onions
1 head	garlic, halved crosswise
4 tablespoons	butter (½ stick), melted
½ cup	good olive oil
8	carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inches chunks
10	red new potatoes, halved
3 heads	fennel, fronds removed, cut into wedges through the core

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take the giblets out of the turkey and wash the turkey inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, lemon, and one of the onions (quartered), and the garlic. Brush the outside of the turkey with the butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together. Peel and slice the remaining onions, toss them with ¼ cup olive oil, and scatter them around the turkey. Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Toss the carrots, potatoes, and fennel with ¼ cup olive oil and add to the roasting pan. Continue to roast for about 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminum foil: let rest for 20 minutes.

Stir the vegetables and return the pan to the oven. Continue to cook the vegetables while the turkey rests. Slice the turkey and serve on a platter with roast vegetable.