Secrets of the Sides
November 8, 2007

The holidays are fast approaching. Now is a the perfect time to refresh side dish standards with these inside cooking scoops guaranteed to WOW family and friends.

Secret #1: Roasted butternut squash. Too busy to roast hunks of this magnificent vegetable? Buy pre–cut chunks and simmer them, cover on, in a combination of apple cider and vegetable stock. Toss in a coarsely chopped sweet onion, 3 garlic cloves, a couple of peeled and cored apples, and enough liquid to cover it all. When the squash is fork tender, about 20–25 minutes, drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Mash by hand in the cooking pot and then slowly reconstitute the squash with the reserved cooking stock while pureeing it with a hand held blender. Add a small amount of butter, if you like, and pinches of kosher salt to taste, along with a pinch of clove or curry. This freezes beautifully, so do several batches ahead. To serve, pour into a gratin dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and coarse pepper over the surface. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Secret #2: Ratatouille. Choose the small white or lightly streaked purple eggplant now widely available. The flavor and texture of this variety is far more toothsome than the lumpy purple cylinders. Also, it doesn't hog the olive oil in the sauté pan while browning it for the baking dish. Into the baking dish add the usual suspects: sliced onions, chopped zucchini, chunks of tomato, garlic, olives, fresh basil, thyme, a dash of balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and cracked pepper. (Add some sliced spicy sausage and you've got a main course.) Bake at 375 degrees, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top surface with homemade breadcrumbs: in a food processor lightly pulse 3 slices of whole wheat bread, 3 garlic cloves, and 4 ounces of Parmesan cheese into rough crumbs. Bake an additional 15–20 minutes until golden and bubbling.

Secret #3: Creamy Scalloped Potatoes. A do ahead tip that will yield nicely cooked but firm slices that won't turn black: boil russet potatoes whole in their jackets until fork tender. Cool, peel, and slice potatoes to put the dish together using generous amounts of kosher salt, fresh pepper, thyme, cream, chopped garlic, soft shredded cheeses, and nutmeg. Bake at 375 with foil cover for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 30 minutes.

Secret #4: Flat Bread Topping. Flatbread makes a substantial side for soups and stews. Combine 2 pints of grape tomatoes, a bunch of seedless red grapes, 6 whole garlic cloves, along with a chopped red onion and drizzle it with olive oil. Roast at 425 degrees for 90 minutes, tossing occasionally. Cool and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh pepper. Turn oven up to 450 degrees. Smear the paste over store–bought pizza dough that has been rolled out on a cookie sheet pre–sprinkled with cornmeal. Add chopped fresh rosemary and light fingerfuls of feta and/or blue cheese. Bake 12 minutes. Freeze extra paste.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008