Tiny pearl onions, pale and round and almost as iridescent as their namesakes. The layered ivory of cipollini, braised to a melting tenderness. Miniature white parsnips and fingerling potatoes, roasted in their light matte coats.

The absence of color, once prized in French cooking, is now a relative rarity in a big dinner, especially the richly hued harvest feast that is Thanksgiving. But particularly on such a table, a bowl of mashed potatoes or a soothing gratin of celery root can be like brief moments of calm amid the dinner's beautiful storm.