Roasted Garlic, Sweet Potato, and Parsnip Mash

When I think about winter vegetables, I instantly picture roasted root vegetables.  You can do so many things with them- add them to lasagna, dip them in fondue, or just eat them out of the pan.  Here, I made a mash out of them.  When I made this dish, I had just gotten one of my wisdom teeth extracted and was wanting something warm and soft to eat and this was perfect. 

The roasted garlic is really what sets this dish apart from other mashes.  The longer you roast garlic, the milder the flavor will be so that's why you can use a whole head for this recipe.  If you’ve never roasted your own garlic, this is a great way to start.  You can even add another head to the pan and use the cloves for pizza toppings or spread them warm bread.

Roasted Garlic, Sweet Potato and Parsnip Mash

About 5 servings, vegan, gluten-free

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

1 lb. parsnips

1 lb. Hannah sweet potatoes (the small white variety)

1 head garlic

1 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

¼ c. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Chop sweet potatoes and parsnips to about ½ inch thick.  Cut off the top of the garlic head, making sure that all cloves have a bit of the flesh showing, and separate the head into individual cloves.  Spread sweet potatoes and parsnips evenly onto a rimmed cookie sheet.  To make things simple later, place individual cloves of garlic in the corner of the cookie sheet.   Sprinkle the chopped rosemary over the sweet potatoes and parsnips.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle on some fresh ground salt and pepper.  Stir to ensure that all vegetables have a little oil on them. Place in oven.

25 minutes after placing in oven, take out the sheet.  Pop the garlic out of the cloves by pressing on the bottom end.  They should pop out easily but be careful not to burn your fingers!  Place the skinned garlic cloves in with the rest of the ingredients and stir so that everything cooks evenly.  Return to oven for 15 more minutes of roasting. 

After the last 15 minutes, take the sheet out of the oven and transfer everything into a large bowl.

Start mashing, preferably with a wide, metal, hand-held masher.  Add the rest of the olive oil and season to taste.  Keep mashing to desired consistency.