Rutabagas are a yummy vegetable that you can cook like a potato. They can be mashed, boiled, fried or baked. Rutabagas are a versatile vegetable. They are terrific for stews, soups, and even baked goods like breads and muffins.

The rutabaga is also known as the swede (from the Swedish turnip), or the yellow turnip. It is controversial but some people believe that the rutabaga is native to Sweden. Others dispute this and claim that this vegetable is native to Finland or Siberia. Historically, before pumpkins were readily available in the United Kingdom, rutabagas were used at Halloween as an ornament. They were carved into faces.

Rutabagas have a wonderful, almost sweet flavor. The smell and taste is very distinct. The peel cannot be eaten. It is waxy. It is a hard vegetable. Cutting it requires a big, sharp knife. Cutting up a rutabaga is similar to cutting a huge sweet potato. Rutabaga is a big, dense vegetable. This vegetable has bright, orange flesh. It can be used like a potato. It is very good mashed. They are not very hard to make mashed. Mashed rutabaga goes well with butter, salt and pepper. If you like your mashed veggies creamy, add a bit of milk or sour cream. you can make mashed rutabaga on its own. Alternately you can combine it with other veggies like potatoes or carrots. Cut up your rutabaga into cubes. Boil it until it is tender. The cook time is similar to a potato.

Rutabaga is very good roasted. You can slice it up or cube it and put it under meat. It goes with heavier meats like steak and brisket. It really doesn't need much seasoning. If you like the sweet, natural flavor of a turnip, you will probably also like the taste of a rutabaga. If you are doing a roast and meat main course, you can do a vegetable medley. Slice carrots, turnips, potatoes and rutabagas. you can put a bit of lemon juice or olive oil at the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Place your meat overtop. Cover and roast.

If you make any potato puffs, potato perogies or potato filled pastries, why not substitute the potato with mashed rutabaga? Try it as a casserole. You can even do scalloped rutabaga or rutabaga au gratin. You can use it in shepherd's pie or cottage pie instead of mashed potato.

Cube rutabagas and fry them. Use them instead of breakfast potatoes. Alternately you can grate raw rutabaga. Use the shredded veggies to make hash browns or patties. If you want, you can mix the rutabaga with shredded potato or zucchini. If you are having difficulty grating your rutabaga, put it through the food processor.

Just like you can cook and freeze a potato, you can cook and freeze rutabaga. If you plan to use it in a pureed soup or bake a bread or muffins with it, here is what to do. Cut it in cubes. Boil it until it is tender. Puree it in the blender. Once the pureed rutabaga is cooled, you can put it in a zip-top freezer bag and stick it in the freezer. If you plan to use it in a stew or in a chili, cube it and boil it. Once your cubes have cooled, put them in a freezer bag or into a Tupperware. Just like you can make yam fries, you can also make rutabaga fries. You can julianne your rutabaga and freeze it too.

Rutabagas are high in potassium, vitamins A and C and folate. They are high in sodium. If you are watching sodium intake, you may only want to consume a limited amount of rutabaga.