Russet Potato

Most people never think about cooking cucumber—especially since that crisp, raw crunch is so perfect for salads and canapés. But cucumber acquires a wonderful velvety texture when cooked and puréed, and this soup shows it off beautifully. Even better, the flavor and color of this soup are at their best when it is warm, not hot, which takes some of the stress out of serving ten guests.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Oven-baked potato "chips" at their best.

Save the beet tops for a quick side dish: just sauté them with garlic and olive oil, sprinkle with lemon, salt and pepper, and serve.

Potatoes lend moistness, and caraway seeds and onions--two ingredients favored by German, Scandinavian and Eastern European immigrants--add flavor to these traditionally shaped rolls.

The classic gets a dash of color and flavor. Using a hand masher for the potato mixture leaves bits of carrot.

If you plan on preparing this side dish the day before serving, reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid and add it to the puree when reheating it.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

The primary difference between this kugel recipe and the traditional is its use of dairy, which would make it inappropriate at a meal with meat on the menu for those who observe kosher dietary laws.

The microwave makes this dish a snap to prepare.

Made with a mixture of cooked and raw potatoes, boxty was created as a way to use a few readily available ingredients to produce different results. It can take shape as bread, pancakes or dumplings. The recipe has been popular for so long that one traditional rhyming song goes, "Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan; if you can't make boxty, you'll never get a man." The households that didn't have a store-bought grater improvised by using nails to punch grating holes into a box or flattened tin can. Boxty is most often made as a griddle bread, served with bacon and eggs for a special breakfast treat.

Majorcans love to talk about the quality of their vegetables, and this dish of sautéd eggplant, potatoes and bell peppers in fresh tomato sauce, called tumbet, is one of their favorite creations. We suggest serving it with grilled fish or lamb chops, as Majorcans do.

This quiche also makes a simple and delicious dinner served with a mixed green salad and some crusty bread.