This recipe has a lot of steps - but don’t be intimidated. You only use a couple pans, it’s just a lot of switching ingredients around. There’s lot of good stuff in this - apples, potatoes, peas, and parsnips. There’s not even cheese in this! Just a little cream and butter for the potatoes and sauce. The apple cider with the savory broth is great, as well as using the brandy - which I used apple brandy which made it slightly spicy like a pie spice, but really good. We only used 6 boneless skinless thighs, and have tons of leftovers. This is a great way to eat lots of veggies and feel very cozy at the same time. Bon Appétit!

This was a great hearty meal that made us feel great when we were stuffed full of veggies. I had seen the dressing recipe on Tyler’s Ultimate this past weekend and thought it would be a great fall flavor over some roasted veggies. I also used half of one of the last tomatoes of the season, without roasting. The lettuce is a red leaf and a bibb lettuce from the farmer’s market. Actually, this entire meal, minus the maple syrup is from the farmer’s market. I roasted sliced eggplant, parsnips, and carrots at 400F for about 20 minutes. Just drizzle the dressing, add whatever veggies move you that day, a slice of good bread and you have an amazing flavorful salad - and I don’t usually buy the whole salad thing unless it’s covered with cheese.

The simple smell of roasting meat and veggies is permeating my parent’s whole house. I could smell it in the garage…. This is super rustic, super easy, throw it in the oven, and it emerges perfect and crispy 40-50 minutes later. You can use whatever veggies you have, and need to use up. I used a Korean yam I bought from Super H (which is white, not orange like other yams), parsnips from the Union Square market, potatoes and onions from the pantry. What I love to do when roasting something is mix up an herb butter and stuff it under the skin. I did this last year with my Thanksgiving turkey, and every time I do it, it’s divine. The duck is a bit different than a chicken or turkey, in that the skin is not as easily separated from the the muscle. So with a knife I carefully separated the skin as best as I could and stuffed as much butter underneath as it would hold. One more thing, save your drippings and duck fat from the bottom of the pans!!! We’ll use this later in the week. Ok, here’s my recipe for the duck legs:

Serves 3-4, depending on how hungry you are - perfect for a lunch serving

2 large duck legs

1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temp

Fresh herbs: Parsley, Oregano, Sage, whatever you have on hand

2 Onions quartered

2 Potatoes quartered

2 Parsnips peeled, and cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1 Korean Yam, or regular yam, cut into 1-2 inch cubes

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Cut up all your veggies and put them in a roasting pan. Drizzle with Olive Oil, salt and pepper.

3. Mix fresh herbs into the butter with a fork. Carefully cut skin away from the duck legs. With your fingers, slide under the skin with the herb butter. Score the skin on top, careful not to cut the muscle. Spread the rest of the herb butter on top of the skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place legs on top of veggies in the roasting pan

4. Roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Serve with a herb salad side. Enjoy!