mashed turnips with pears

i know that the picture really is not doing this dish any favors but don't let that deter you! this is a really tasty alternative to mashed potatoes. the addition of the pear balances out some of the bitterness of the turnips and results in a delightfully light side for your dinner. we had some left over for lunch and kris gave me the great idea to make them into patties and fry them up as little turnip pancakes, which is exactly what i did. i maybe even liked them better this way. all i did was add a spoonful of flour and dollop them into a lightly greased pan to brown for a few minutes on each side. they were a little delicate but yummy nonetheless on top of a bed of baby spinach. you could just skip the whole eat-as-mash step and go right to the pancakes. your call. but do make this you won't be sorry.

mashed turnips with pears
(from vegan italiano)
ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds small turnips*, peeled and quartered
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 ripe pear peeled, cored, and chopped (you can substitute an apple if you want)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
black pepper to taste

place the turnips and garlic cloves in a steamer, cover and steam over medium heat until the turnips are fork tender, about 15 minutes.

drain and transfer the turnips and garlic to a food processor or blender. add the pear, oil, salt and pepper; process until smooth but still slightly chunky. serve or proceed to make pancakes.

*i couldn't find small turnips so i used two big ones (equaling 1 1/2 pounds) no biggie. just cut them into small pieces.

-d