Root Mash, and my obsession with all things potato

But mostly Root Mash.

It is the right time of year for roots.  Matt and I have been doing a winter CSA.  We've been getting 1 delivery a month.  Our delivery comes in a big box with a grocery bag full of roots and onions.  (We also get 3 or 4 gallon size ziploc bags full of greens).  Amazing.

Since Thanksgiving I haven't been able to get enough of the mashed roots.  They are so simple and so tasty.

Here are the steps to making Roots and mashing them:
Step 1
Cut your veggies.  I like to try to use a ratio of thirds, or halves.  If you have celeriac or parsnips or yellow carrots do thirds. 1/3 carrot, 1/3 celeriac, 1/3 potatoes.  If you only have carrots or have rutabaga or other less tasty roots, do halves.  1/2 potatoes (I like to use a mix when I can.  Gold or fingerling, purple and russet) and 1/2 other roots. Potatoes are softer than other roots and will cook first.  Cut them bigger.

Step 2
Boil in 1 part water and 1 part veggie stock. Start cold, potatoes do best when started in cold liquid.  Boil until you can easily stick a fork in it.

Step 3
Drain your roots, put them back in the warm pot and allow the steam to escape.  Once they are done steaming, add a few pads(pats? they both sound wrong right now) of butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Step 4
Mash roots

Step 5
Enjoy!

What have I been up to?

Just a few things:

Lime Spritzers

We have been getting the most deliciously green limes lately. We've been mixing them with sparkling water.  So refreshing! You'd never know it was winter here (granted, based on the weather you would never know it either, 57degrees today).

Made more raw Chocolate Chip Cookies. Got some help with the piping of the chips this time around.  He wanted the cookies, I told him he'd have to help pipe.

Checking on my kombucha.  We are pretty close to being brewed. This was at 2 weeks.

 This is almost one month.  It is growing really well!

Made some raw taco boats for a Favorite Things Party.

Sorry the pics are so dark.  These were delicious.  I used a walnut taco meat, cashew nacho cheese and zucchini and baby patty pan shells.  The toppings were fajita style mushrooms and bell peppers, cilantro and romaine lettuce.

Squash tacos:
Shells
Cut zucchini in half length wise, scoop the insides out with a 1/2 tsp.  Cut the top off of the baby patty pans, scoop out the insides with a 1/4 tsp.  Rub with oil, nama shoyu and sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt.  Dehydrate on 105 for about an hour.

Walnut taco meat
adapted from Matt Amsden's Rawvolution
1 c raw walnuts ground (I soaked mine overnight and then dehydrated)
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp mexican oregano
2 T nama shoyu
Mix all together in bowl.  You can warm in the dehydrator if you'd like.
(Optional,  add soaked and processed sun dried tomatoes)

Cashew Nacho Cheese
1/2 c cashews soaked and rinsed
1 T lemon juice
1 T nutritional yeast
3-4 T chopped red bell pepper (I just eye it and cut a chunk out of the pepper)
dash of pimenton
salt and pepper to taste
water as needed (prob about 1/4-1/2 c)
Blend all til smooth in vitamix

Fajita Style Veggies
Julienne bell pepper, slice mushrooms and grate 1 small clove garlic into bowl.  You can use any amount of veggies you want.  I did about 1/4 of a bell pepper, 5-6 musrooms and a very small clove of garlic.  You could add sliced onions. Splash veggies with olive oil and nama shoyu.  Be careful not to use too much.  I also add a touch of agave. Mix well, dehydrate 1 hour on 105.


Cheers!