Instructions: I like to dress-up my mashed potatoes with leeks and garlic. I just throw some chopped leeks and whole cloves of garlic in with the potatoes when they are cooking and mash like normal. Yummy. ["Amanda Helstrom" (ladydragonfly@home.com)]

My grandmother, from Halifax, England, made her beef stew with rutabaga, parsnip and turnip, along with the normal "American" vegetables. Its a flavor that cant be reproduced without them. She called it English beef stew, but I think thats because ... SHE WAS! (LOL) I love those three vegetables baked, roasted, pureed, stewed, blanched, just with a little butter(buds) & salt, and wearing blue. Theyre just delicious. ["Christine F. Muehling" (CF_Muehling@CompuServe.COM)]

If you are watching your calories, and if you love mashed potatoes as much as we do, consider alternating mashed turnips which are not a starchy food, just a good old non-starchy vegetable. I peel mine, and simmer them until they are soft, then I add a little milk, butter, salt and pepper, and they are wonderful. You could also add some no-fat or low-fat cream cheese if you want, but I think they are super as a stand alone. We just dont seem to enjoy turnips so much in the US as they do in other countries. Too bad because they are wonderful. [Mary Curtis (curtism@fuse.net)]

I agree, Mary, turnips are wonderful-if you can find fresh ones. I finally gave up on the supermarkets and visited one of my favorite fruit and vegetable stores to find nice, small turnips, with the greens attached, for $1.29 a bunch. I cooked up greens in a tiny bit of olive oil, minced garlic, and seasoned pepper; then used some of the turnips in a veggie broth I wanted to freeze. Maybe I will mash the rest-thanks for reminding me! [Geograc1@aol.com]

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