Lately I’ve been buying my vegetables online from Green Earth Organics, a family run farm in Galway. I’ve been prioritising Irish grown in an attempt to support farmers and eat as seasonally as possible. Mashed root vegetables is the perfect dish to make with all of those carrots, parsnips and turnip. It can be rustic and chunky, or a smoother puree. It’s incredible when used to top a shepherd’s pie. Leftovers – not that there usually are any – make the ideal base for a soup. I usually make a huge batch using a big bunch of carrots, a few parsnips and that peppery turnip. Set half aside for another day, or freeze and label. It’s so handy to have.
If you still have a few pumpkins lying around, then add some of the flesh to this mash. Butternut squash is great too. Add a pinch of nutmeg for pure autumn warmth.
This mash is great with roast chicken, or with slow-cooked beef in a rich gravy. I’m serving it with lamb here. The cooking juices can be used as a sauce that tastes so good with the root mash.
I love lamb steaks, and always resort to the same reliable marinade: a dash of sharp but sweet, sticky balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, crushed garlic and some fresh, bright rosemary. It’s such a wonderful mix of flavours. You could also use a little red wine in place of the balsamic. The longer the lamb steaks are left to marinate the better they will taste. I usually pop them into the marinade as soon as I buy them. When they’re sealed in a lunchbox in the fridge, I know dinner is never too far away.
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Lilly’s kitchen tips
1 Use your carrot and parsnip peels to make stock. You can pop them into a bag in the freezer and just keep adding to it. Onion skins, fennel tops and herb stalks are all great.
2 Make stock in the slow cooker. Cooking low and slow will extract the most flavour, and is more energy efficient.
3 If you’re using a chicken carcass to make stock, then add a splash of vinegar to break down the bones so the most flavour and nutrients can be extracted.
