Mash It Up!

Root vegetable mashes are a staple of mine over these winter months. Root vegetables can be harvested late in the season (some can even over-winter), and they store well in a cool, dark place. Mine are stored in a 'cold room' that I created in my basement stairwell to the outside.

The trick with root mashes is to be creative. My mother layers a root mash of celeriac, turnip and potato with cheese. I added to this to a quick fry-up of black beans, garlic, onion and leek. I layered a casserole dish with mash, bean mixture, cheese, mash and cheese; then I baked it until heated through and the cheese was bubbly.

Mashes can also replace the tops on traditional potato-topped casseroles like shepherd's or shepherdess' pie.

If you cook up an lot of mash and have some left over: Turn it into soup. Simply add some soy milk to it and reheat! Or vary it up by also adding some spinach, kale, chard or cauliflower. Or a bit of curry powder.

So get creative; find some roots; and mix and mash!