TOWN OF DICKINSON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – Our monthly cooking segment with Cornell Cooperative Extension has a new name and is featuring a new alternative to classic mashed potatoes.

In The Kitchen with CCE has Nutritionist Tara Kenyon showing us how to make roasted garlic and rosemary parsnip mash.

The recipe largely substitutes parsnips and cauliflower for potatoes.

Plus some roasted garlic and rosemary, lemon juice, salt and pepper for added flavor.

This month’s featured ingredient is parsnips, a root vegetable similar to carrots.

Kenyon says their grown locally and are loaded with fiber, vitamins C and EW, folate and manganese.

She says parsnips can often be substituted for carrots in soups and stews.

“They do have a nutty, peppery flavor to them and they can be sweeter than carrots too. Actually, in Europe, they used to use parsnips in jams and in cakes to make them sweet before sugar was widely available.”

Kenyon says the parsnip mash is a good alternative for diabetics because it has more fiber and less sugar than mashed potatoes.

She says they can be stored dry in an unsealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a month.

You can watch her prepare the dish below.