We had never tried rutabaga until last night. We roasted the rutabaga in the oven with olive oil and spices and it is amazing! It reminds me of a cross between the sweetness of a carrot and the consistency of a potato. I’ve never had anything quite like it, but I definitely recommend it. Right now is the perfect time to use this cheap root vegetable.

Ingredients:

• 1 large rutabaga, diced into 3/4 inch pieces
• olive oil (enough to coat rutabaga)
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
• 1 Tbsp. dried marjoram
• sea salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Dice rutabaga and spread onto a large cookie sheet.
2. Coat evenly with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle sugar and herbs over rutabaga.
4. Bake at a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes.
5. Tip: Make fries instead and fry in a pan or grill them!

Looking for a way to use up those leftover pumpkins from Halloween? Instead of the typical pumpkin pie, why not try something new this Thanksgiving. Candied pumpkin is a lot like traditional sweet potatoes served at this time of year, however, they don’t have a typical sweet potato taste. This is great if you have family members who don’t care for sweet potatoes. Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients:

• Cubed Pumpkin - Enough to fit 9 1/2 x 12 baking dish, or whatever size dish you use
• Pumpkin Pie Spice
• Brown Sugar
• Maple Syrup
• Butter

Directions

1. Spread Pumpkin into baking dish
2. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and coat pumpkin well
3. Cover with brown sugar and maple syrup to taste
4. Slice butter over the top of pumpkin covering as much as possible
5. Bake at 375 degrees, uncovered for at least 1 hour or until pumpkin is tender

Tips:

• If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use a combo of Cinnamon, Nutmeg and a little allspice and clove
• Pumpkin has a fairly high water content, don’t add too much syrup or butter because pumpkin will shrink considerably when cooking
• Pumpkin doesn’t get mushy like a sweet potato, it will always be somewhat tender
• Top with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream and serve this as a dessert!