The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle by Russ Crandall

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    Potatoes mashed with just cream and butter are delicious on their own, but taking the extra step of roasting garlic beforehand brings it to another level and is worth the invested time.
    SERVES: 6   PREP TIME: 1 HOUR (TO ROAST THE GARLIC)   COOKING TIME: 20 MINUTES
    1 HEAD GARLIC, TOP 1/4" CHOPPED OFF AND DISCARDED
    1 TBSP. OLIVE OIL
    2 LBS. RUSSET OR YUKON GOLD POTATOES, PEELED AND CUT INTO 1" CHUNKS
    4 TBSP. BUTTER, CUBED
    1/2 TBSP. SEA SALT
    1 TSP. BLACK PEPPER
    ~1/2 CUP HEAVY CREAM
    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with the olive oil, and loosely wrap into a teardrop shape. Roast for 45 minutes, then check for doneness by squeezing the sides of the garlic, which should be soft. Squeeze out the garlic cloves and set aside.
    2. As the garlic finishes roasting, prepare the potatoes. Put them in a large stockpot and fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 1". Bring to a boil on high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
    3. Strain the potatoes and return them to the stockpot; stir in the butter, salt, pepper, and garlic and mash with a hand masher or whisk until well mixed and fluffy, stirring in as much cream as needed to get your desired consistency (about 1/2 cup). Be careful not to overmash, which will result in glue-like potatoes. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired.



Colcannon
    Although potato and kale recipes are found all over Europe, the Irish variation, colcannon, is granddaddy of them all. The Romans introduced cabbage to most of Europe but were surprised to find that cabbage was already in Ireland when they arrived. The Celts are generally recognized as having brought cabbage to Ireland, nearly 500 years before the Roman Empire rose to power.
    Although potatoes weren’t introduced to Europe until the 1500s, the Irish were one of the first peoples to embrace them, and it is safe to assume that colcannon followed shortly thereafter.
    Colcannon is usually treated as a St. Patrick’s Day dish in the United States, but it is traditionally a Halloween dish in Ireland. Historically, some families would put a plate of colcannon outside their front door with a large chunk of butter in the middle to feed ghosts and fairies that were passing by.
    This dish goes especially well with sausages, which can be pan-fried or grilled while the potatoes are simmering.
    SERVES: 6 PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOKING TIME: 30 MINUTES
    2 LBS. RUSSET OR YUKON GOLD POTATOES, PEELED AND CUT INTO 1" CHUNKS
    6 TBSP. BUTTER, CUBED
    1/2 CUP CHOPPED LEEK OR GREEN ONIONS
    1 BUNCH KALE (ABOUT 6 STALKS), STEMS REMOVED, COARSELY CHOPPED
    1/2 CUP HEAVY CREAM
    SALT AND BLACK PEPPER TO TASTE, ~1/2 TSP. EACH
    1. Place the potatoes in a stockpot, then fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1". Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and leave them there as you prep the other ingredients.
    2. Add the butter to the empty stockpot and warm on medium heat. Add the leek or green onions and simmer until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the kale and sauté until bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and cream, remove from the heat, and mash everything together until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sausage and an extra dollop of butter on top.



Gnocchi
    Gnocchi are a type of dumpling most often made with potatoes. Like many Italian recipes, there is a lot of variability to the dish. It’s believed that gnocchi have been around since the Roman era and that they actually came from the Middle East. It’s unclear whether the word gnocchi comes from nocchio (a knot in wood) or from nocca (knuckle).
    Prior to the arrival of potatoes from the New World, semolina (coarse-ground durum wheat) was used to make gnocchi; semolina gnocchi recipes are still around today.
    SERVES: 6