Autumn Potatoes

Serves 8.

2 sizes of leaf-shaped cookie cutters

1 stick butter

7 large Idaho potatoes

1 large yam/sweet potato

2 purple potatoes (the biggest you can find!)

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter; when it begins to sizzle remove from heat and skim off the foamy white formation on top. Set aside what's left (clarified butter). Put aside the biggest Idaho potato along with the yam and purple potatoes. Peel remaining 6 Idaho potatoes and thinly slice them (1/16"). Put them in a bowl of cold water. Put 1-2 Tbsp of the clarified butter in a large oven-proof skillet (around 11"). Dry each round with paper towels as you go and line the bottom of the pan with overlapping slices. Brush all with butter, sprinkle on salt and pepper and continue with a second layer. Fill pan to the very top and then press down with a spatula. Bake 50 minutes, press down again during baking. Turn heat up to 500 degrees and cook for 10 minutes more. Gently loosen edge with a knife, turn out on platter and decorate with potato leaves and serve. While potatoes bake make the potato leaves.

Potato Leaves

Peel remaining potatoes, thinly cut lengthwise to have widest slices possible- cut out leaf shapes with cookie cutter. Fry them will in a little oil and butter, salt and pepper, and sprinkle paprika on some. When brown edged and done, drain on paper towels. Layer on top of the Idaho potatoes.