Adventures in the Kitchen--Thanksgiving Edition

I'm kind of a klutz in the kitchen. I've been doing my best to expand my horizons lately, both in cooking and in my eating habits, thanks largely to taking part in a CSA farm share this summer and in reading more cooking blogs. One of my favorites is Smitten Kitchen, for its beautiful photography, snappy commentary, and delicious variety of recipes. This Thanksgiving, I decided to stray from the traditional mashed potatoes I've made in the past and tried this sweet potato and swiss chard gratin recipe. Divine!

First, I substituted rainbow chard for the swiss variety. The colors are so gorgeous--how can you resist?

My mom was an excellent suis (sic?) chef, helping me cut and peel all the sweet potatoes.

Look at those greens steam up! Mmmm.

Once all the greens and stems were cooked down and the cream sauce made, I grated some Gruyere cheese and layered all of the ingredients with some spices.

An hour later, I had a bubbling, crispy, cheesy veggie delight! My family seemed to enjoy it, and I hope to make this a regular Thanksgiving staple at our table.

My grandmother's table, all decked out for dinner.

What did you all make for Thanksgiving this year? Anything new?