Something that I’ve grown to love about this city are the characters who inhabit our neighborhoods and inadvertently become part of the local flavor for those who know that area intimately. 

For as long as I can remember, a stroll through Union Square on a Saturday guaranteed an encounter with a dapper gentleman with a Cockney accent squatting over a mountain of carrot, cucumber, and potato shavings, ranting about his superior Swiss stainless steel peelers. His name was Joe Ades and he was one of those New York City legends that you swear must only exist in movies.

Our neighborhood suffered a great loss earlier this month, when Mr. Ades passed away. I was saddened to read the news and for the past few weeks, I’ve definitely noticed his absence. No matter how many times I’d see him, I could never resist stopping to listen to the best sales pitch in the history of selling.

I thought of him the other night, when I brought out the Swiss peeler (that he sold me) to prepare this root vegetable gratin, which required peeling a butternut squash, two sweet potatoes, and a rutabaga. I’m sure I’ll remember him every time I use it going forward.

I picked this dish because I’ve been feeling a little off-kilter since returning from vacation and I needed some inspiration to get back into a routine of variety and nourishment (as opposed to, say, cereal for dinner twice this week? Don’t tell my mother). This recipe was the perfect shot in the arm. It looked so pretty, beckoning from the cover of this month’s Food and Wine and contrary to its name (I hear gratin, I think cheese city), it’s a very healthy recipe.

The toughest part of preparing this recipe was fighting with the mandoline. Perhaps it’s because mine is less than top of the line (I have the oxox model), but getting those thin slices was tricky with the darn’d thing sliding all over the counter and changing the slicing width on me.

Once I got past that part, it was smooth sailing. Just be warned, this is not a quick dish. Even thinly sliced root vegetables take a long time to cook. It was delicious and well worth it. I served it with some nice crusty 7-grain bread from Balthazar and a green salad. All of a sudden, I’m right back in!

Root Vegetable Gratin
Adapted from the recipe by Melissa Rubel, featured in Food and Wine, February 2009  

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled

1 butternut squash neck (2 1/4 pounds) from a large butternut squash, peeled

1 medium rutabaga (2 pounds), peeled and halved lengthwise

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Butter for greasing the dish

Preheat the oven to 375°. Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes and squash lengthwise 1/8 inch thick. Slice the rutabaga crosswise 1/8 inch thick.

Grease an 8-by-12-inch glass baking dish with butter (cooking spray was recommended, I did not have any). Arrange half of the potatoes in the dish, overlapping them slightly; season with salt and pepper. Top with half of the rutabaga and the squash, seasoning each layer. Repeat the layering. Pour the broth over and around the vegetables.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, until the vegetables are almost tender when pierced. Remove the foil and pour the cream over the gratin. Bake for about 30 minutes longer, until the liquid has thickened.

Preheat the broiler. Mix the panko with the oil and season with salt and pepper; sprinkle over the gratin. Broil 3 inches from the heat for 2 minutes, until golden, rotating for even browning. Let the gratin stand for 10 minutes, then serve.