Montauk Pioneer - November 21, 2008 -

6 medium – to – large artichokes (cut off stems, cut off top of artichokes, and cut down its leaves using kitchen shears; rinse under cold water and dry before stuffing)
8 gloves of garlic, finely minced
2 1/2 cups Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 – 1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon salt, plus extra for boiling
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried parsley

Prep your artichokes and place in a shallow saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. In a medium bowl, combine garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and parsley until well mixed. You want the mixture to be moist, like wet sand.
Take each artichoke and stuff liberally with breadcrumb mixture, and be sure to fill some of the leaves with your mixture as well.
After you’ve stuffed all of your artichokes, fill your saucepan about halfway up the side with water.
You MUST salt the water liberally at this point. Artichokes need a lot of salt to release their natural flavors. Add in a couple heaping tablespoons of salt to your water, along with about a tablespoon of olive oil, so that your artichokes will soak up the flavor from the outside. Bring water to a boil, then lower your heat and let simmer for about 2 hours, until the meat of the artichoke leaves is tender.
Can be made a day ahead and reheated on the stove in the same pan.

2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed, cut in half and rinsed
1 lb fresh pearl onions
1/2 lb bacon, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop in your pearl onions, skins and all. Let boil for about 10 minutes, until they feel tender and a knife slides easily into them. Scoop them out of the water (do not discard boiling water) and drop into cold water to stop the cooking process.
Drop your green beans into the boiling water, and salt the water liberally, cook for about 5 minutes; you still want the green beans to retain a bit of their crunch.
Meanwhile, clean your onions by cutting the stems off, and most of the outer layer of skin will simply fall away, leaving you with gleaming little onions. Drain your green beans and shock them in ice water to stop the cooking and to keep their vibrant green color.
Return pot to stove and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and your bacon; cook until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon from pot and let drain on a paper towel. Add onions to bacon fat, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 10 minutes, just to soften them up a little more and get some nice color on them. Add green beans, a little more salt and pepper, and let cook on medium low for another 5-8 minutes. Can be made a day ahead and reheated in the oven the day of your holiday meal.

6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium cubes
1 stick of salted butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cream or half and half
2 tablespoons pancake syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, then return potatoes to the pot to let all of the moisture evaporate. Add butter, brown sugar, cream, syrup, salt and pepper, and mash with a potato masher to your desired consistency (I like mine smooth.) Test for seasoning and adjust as desired.
For garnish: mix together 1 tablespoon brown sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle over the top of your sweet potatoes. For an added festive touch, throw on a handful on mini marshmallows.
Can be made a day in advance and heated in the oven with a touch more cream and/or butter.