Sweet potatoes are available at grocery stores year-round, but they tend to garner more attention come Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes pack a powerful and nutritious punch. Those who want to make their sweet potatoes a little more sweet this holiday can try this recipe for “Sweet Potato Marshmallow Gratin” courtesy of Lines+Angles.

Sweet Potato

Marshmallow Gratin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup orange juice

5 sweet potatoes,

peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

2 Russet potatoes,

peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows, divided

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and orange juice in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine potatoes. Pour orange juice mixture over the potatoes; toss to coat well.

2. Spritz an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place potatoes, a handful at a time, in the dish and spread them so that the orange and white slices are evenly distributed. Sprinkle 10 to 12 mini-marshmallows on top of this layer. Repeat process, creating five layers, until you almost reach the top of the baking dish.

3. Cover dish with aluminum foil and seal tightly to hold in moisture; bake for 1 hour.

4. Top with remaining marshmallows and brown sugar.

5. Re-cover with foil and bake 30 more minutes. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Slow cook your Thanksgiving turkey

Food features prominently in many holiday celebrations, but perhaps no holiday is more closely associated with eating than Thanksgiving. In fact, Thanksgiving and food are so closely connected that many people lovingly refer to the holiday as “Turkey Day,” which is an homage to the popular main course that finds its way to millions of Thanksgiving dinner tables across the country each year.

Side dishes abound on Thanksgiving dinner tables, but turkey still takes center stage. That reality can put some pressure on hosts tasked with preparing the meal for their family and friends. Unlike some other dishes that require a laundry list of ingredients and lots of prep work, turkey is a relatively hands-off main course. However, home cooks know a dried out turkey is not on anyone’s holiday wish list. Slow cooking can help to avoid such a result. This recipe for “Holiday Turkey,” courtesy Andrew Schloss’ “Cooking Slow” (Chronicle Books), calls for slow cooking the bird. Such an approach should result in a delicious and mouth-watering main course that satisfies anyone who’s anxious to sit down at the Thanksgiving dinner table this year.

Holiday Turkey

1 fresh turkey, about 15 pounds,

preferably free-range

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 quart apple cider

2 teaspoons dried poultry seasoning

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the giblets from the turkey and discard (or save for another use). Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Rub it all over with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. During that time, the surface of the turkey will become visibly dry and the skin will tighten; this encourages a nice crisp skin on the finished bird.

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before you plan to start roasting. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Put the turkey on a rack set in a large, flameproof roasting pan. Drizzle the oil over the top.

Roast for 1 hour. Reduce the oven temperature to 175 F. Pour the cider into the roasting pan and sprinkle the poultry seasoning in the liquid. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh (but not touching bone) registers to 170 F.

Transfer the turkey to a carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 15 minutes (see tip). Meanwhile, skim the fat from the surface of the liquid in the pan. Put the roasting pan over two burners and bring the pan drippings to a boil over high heat. Cook until the juices reduce and thicken slightly, enough to coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Carve the turkey and serve with cider pan juices.

Resting tip: Slow-roasted meats need far less resting time (pretty much none) than those that are traditionally roasted. The reason for resting meat that has been roasted at a high temperature is to allow juices that have collected in the cooler center time to migrate back into the dryer (hotter) exterior sections after it comes out of the oven. Because slow-roasted meats are cooked evenly and a temperature that keeps most of the juices in place, a resting period is largely unnecessary. A brief resting time does allow the meat to become a little firmer as it cools, making it easier to carve.

Makes 15 servings.

Pumpkin Pie

For the crust:

1 cup butter, cold and cubed

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour,

plus extra as needed

1 1/2 tablespoons maple sugar

1 pinch salt

1 medium egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons white vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons iced water

For the filling:

1 small pumpkin, halved,

seeded and cored

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup maple sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground cloves

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup heavy cream

1. For the crust: Combine the butter, flour, maple sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles rough breadcrumbs.

2. Add the egg, vinegar and 1 tablespoon iced water. Pulse until the dough starts to form around the blades; add more water as needed if too dry, or a little more flour if too wet.

3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a disc. Wrap in parchment paper and chill for at least 1 hour.

4 .For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the pumpkin halves flesh-side down on a large baking sheet.

5. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the flesh is tender to the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven and let cool to one side.

6. Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash well until smooth.

7. Beat the eggs with the flour, maple sugar and ground spices in a large mixing bowl until pale and thick, about 3 minutes.

8. Gradually beat in 11/2 cups of the pumpkin mash followed by the maple syrup and cream until fully incorporated.

9. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a large round approximately 1/3-inch thick.

10. Drape into a 9-inch pie dish, pressing well into the base and sides. Cut away any excess pastry before crimping the edges with your fingers.

11. Gently prick the base all over with a fork before slowly pouring the filling into the lined pastry.

12. Bake for 20 minutes before reducing the oven to 350 F. Bake for a further 40 to 50 minutes until the filling is set and starting to come away from the edges of the pastry; a knife should come out clean from the center.

13. When ready, remove from the oven to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving.

Tip: If preparing in advance before serving, let the pie cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and chilling.

Serves 8 for one 9-inch pie.