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

PREP TIME: 2 HOURS (TO BAKE AND COOL THE POTATOES) COOKING TIME: 30 MINUTES
    3 LARGE RUSSET POTATOES (ABOUT 2 LBS.)
    1 TSP. OLIVE OIL
    2 TSP. KOSHER SALT, DIVIDED
    1/2 CUP WHITE RICE FLOUR
    1/4 CUP SWEET RICE FLOUR (SOMETIMES LABELED MOCHIKO)
    2 EGGS
    1 TBSP. GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
    3 TBSP. TAPIOCA STARCH
    1/4 TSP. GROUND NUTMEG
    1/2 TSP. WHITE PEPPER
    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rinse the potatoes, poke them with a fork, rub them with olive oil, and sprinkle about 1 tsp. kosher salt on them. It’s not an exact science. Bake until softened, about 1 hour. Cool the potatoes for 1 hour, then peel.
    2. In a mixing bowl, combine the rice flours. Sprinkle a little of the flour mixture onto a large prep surface. Using a potato ricer or grater, rice or grate the peeled potatoes. Make a well in the middle of the pile of riced potatoes. Crack the eggs into the well, then sprinkle the cheese, tapioca starch, nutmeg, pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. salt around the ring of potatoes. With your fingertips, beat the eggs, then slowly mix them into the potatoes in a circular motion. Add most of the rice flour as you mix everything together, again using just your fingertips.
    3. Once everything is well mixed, start kneading the dough until you have a nice-looking little loaf. Keep adding rice flour as you knead until it reaches a dough-like consistency. Divide the dough into 6 chunks, then roll each chunk into a thin rope. Cut the rope into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle a little flour over everything if it starts to stick.
    4. Before cooking all of the gnocchi, test a couple in boiling water—if they fall apart before floating, add more flour. To preserve them for later, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight; they can then be put in freezer bags and frozen for up to 6 months.
    5. To cook the gnocchi, drop them in boiling, salted water, and fish them out when once they start floating. It should take only a couple minutes. Drain and toss with whatever you’d like—butter, Simple Basil Pesto ( see here ), or Basic Red Sauce ( see here ).



Sweet Potato Poi
(Poi ‘Uala)
    Poi is a Polynesian staple food that is typically made with mashed taro root; however, the Hawaiian people also traditionally made poi from sweet potato and breadfruit. Coconut milk adds sweetness and depth of flavor to this dish. Its creamy texture and sweet taste are perfect accompaniments to my Kalua Pig ( see here ) and Lomi Lomi Salmon ( see here ) recipes.
    SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES COOKING TIME: 1 HOUR
    3 MEDIUM SWEET POTATOES (~1 1/2 LBS.), CUT IN HALF
    1 (14 OZ.) CAN COCONUT MILK
    1/2 TSP. SEA SALT
    1. Place a steamer rack in a stockpot. Fill the pot with water until it starts to touch the bottom of the steamer rack, about 11/2". Put the sweet potatoes on the steamer rack, cover with a lid, and steam on medium-high heat until soft to the touch, about 25 minutes. Check the water level about 15 minutes into steaming to make sure that the water hasn’t evaporated; add more hot water if needed.
    2. Turn off the heat, remove the sweet potatoes, and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Empty the stockpot and rinse clean. Warm the coconut milk in a separate pot on low while the potatoes cool. Once they are cool, slip the skins off the potatoes and discard, then put the peeled potatoes back in the stockpot.
    3. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or whisk, then add the salt and stir in the warm coconut milk, mixing until you get the right consistency—somewhere between mashed potatoes and pea soup. If you run out of coconut milk, add water until you get the desired consistency. For an extra-smooth poi, run the poi through a blender or use an immersion blender. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a week.



Parsnip Puree
    Before the potato arrived in Europe, parsnips were one of the main staple crops throughout the region. First cultivated in Eurasia, parsnips were spread across Europe by the Romans. Due to