Smashed Veg

from Jamie at Home, by Jamie Oliver, p.49
Serves 6

1.5lbs of peeled potatoes (I was lazy and didn’t peel – turned out fine), cut into small chunks
3 large carrots, cut into small chunks
1/2 a large rutabaga (I used a much larger proportion of rutabaga probably the same amount as the potatoes)
6 tbsp butter

Put the veggies in a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil hard for 20 min, or until you can slide a knife easily into the rutabaga. Then drain and allow to steam dry. Reserve some of the cooking water to mix in later if you like a smoother consistency. Smash them up in the pot with most of the butter. To keep warm: spoon into a bowl, cover with foil or a lid and place over a pot of simmering water. So good.

A note on the cookbook:
Jamie at Home does not have many recipes posted on the Food Network site, and the book is expensive ($37!!) and hard-to-find used. Its organized by season and then by ingredients. So, it has short chapters on things like beets, carrots, potatoes, orchard fruits, tomatoes and lamb and then information about how to grow them and suggested varieties. His book is based on what’s coming out of his garden at any given time, so the recipes won’t call for fresh basil or strawberries in the middle of winter. I love that.

~ Posted for Betsy Buford.