![\"wintermash\"](\"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/wintermash.jpg\" "\\"wintermash\\"")
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The one thing you can count on at the farmers market this time of year is plenty of root vegetables.\u00a0 Carrots and turnips, potatoes and parsnips are everywhere.<\/p>\n
These cold weather vegetables are especially good right now, firm in texture and deeply flavorful.\u00a0 The carrots are particularly sweet.<\/p>\n
I usually just roast root vegetables alone or with a chicken.\u00a0 They’re great simply peeled, cut into fairly uniform chunks, tossed in olive oil with whole cloves of garlic, and baked in a 400 degree oven for about an hour.\u00a0 Mix up whatever looks good at the market with a little chopped rosemary and you have the best of winter on your dinner plate.<\/p>\n
Lately, though, I’ve been simmering a variety of root vegetables together and mashing them with butter and yogurt for\u00a0 the most comforting of side dishes.\u00a0 It’s even good\u00a0 as a light lunch all by itself.<\/p>\n
This recipe grew out of one we published in the Mercury News food section a few years back.\u00a0 Everyone really liked it, but Rebecca Salner, my editor at the time, fell head over heels.\u00a0 She kept a clipping and sent the recipe to me recently after\u00a0 I lost track of my copy.<\/p>\n
The original recipe from “Kitchen Sense,”<\/a> by Mitchell Davis (Clarkson Potter, 2006), fed 10 people and called for two sticks of butter and heavy cream.\u00a0 It was perfect for a holiday feast but I wanted an everyday dish.<\/p>\n So I’ve cut the recipe down, substituted parsnips for celery root, which is a real pain to peel, and slashed the butter.\u00a0 Yogurt takes the place of cream.\u00a0 Now I can eat it anytime with less fear for my arteries.<\/p>\n This is a really simple dish to prepare.\u00a0 Use a hand-held potato masher if you like to preserve a little texture.\u00a0 For an elegant dish fit for a celebration, use a food mill or pass through a coarse sieve.<\/p>\n Winter never tasted so good.<\/p>\n 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks Place the sweet potato, white potatoes, parsnip and carrots into a large pot. Cover with cold water. Add 1\u00bd teaspoons of salt and the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer untl the vegetables are very tender, about 35-40 minutes. Drain. Remove bay leaf.<\/p>\n Mash in the pot with a potato masher or pass through a food mill. Stir in the butter and yogurt until well mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.\u00a0 If you need to hold the mash while the rest of the meal is prepared, it can stand for 30 minutes next to the stove in a covered pot.<\/p>\n Adapted from \u201cKitchen Sense\u201d by Mitchell Davis (Clarkson Potter, 2006)<\/em><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The one thing you can count on at the farmers market this time of year is plenty of root vegetables.\u00a0 Carrots and turnips, potatoes and parsnips are everywhere. These cold weather vegetables are especially good right now, firm in texture and deeply flavorful.\u00a0 The carrots are particularly sweet. I usually just roast root vegetables alone … Continue reading Root vegetables get the mash<\/span> Winter mash<\/strong>
\nserves 4<\/em><\/p>\n
\n2 medium white potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
\n1 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1\u00bd – inch chunks
\n2 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
\nKosher salt
\n1 small bay leaf
\n4 tablespoons (\u00bd stick) unsalted butter, cut into 3 or 4 chunks
\n\u00bc cup plain yogurt
\nFreshly ground black pepper<\/p>\n