2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon tomato paste

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley or dried oregano (optional)

PREHEAT THE oven to 375F degrees. Peel the potatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and slice each half into wedges no more than -inch thick.

In a large, deep baking pan or ca.s.serole dish (at least 10 17-inches or bigger), combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vegetable broth, oregano, salt, and tomato paste. Add the peeled, sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and toss the potatoes to cover with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil (or use lid of ca.s.serole dish), place in the oven, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the potatoes are almost done. Several times during the baking process, remove the pan from the oven, uncover, stir the potatoes, place the cover back, and return the pan to the oven.

Uncover the pan one last time, stir the potatoes again, and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until most of the sauce has evaporated and some of the potatoes have just started to brown on their edges. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and/or more dried oregano before serving.

MASHED POTATOES WITH VARIATIONS.

SERVES 4-6.

TIME: 30 MINUTES.

A cla.s.sic recipe that will never let you down. We"ve included tasty variations that happily mix and match with practically any cuisine you feel like cooking up tonight.

SURE, use any potato you like, but different potatoes will yield different results. For light, fluffy mashed potatoes use a starchy, pebbly-skinned "baking" variety such as Idaho. A dense, creamy mash can be obtained from waxy, thin skinned potatoes such as red or Yukon Gold (which make awesome b.u.t.teryhued mashed potatoes). Sometimes we peel our potatoes, sometimes we leave the skins on for the ever-so-hip variation of "smashed" potatoes (mostly when using waxy potatoes).

2 pounds potatoes

2-3 tablespoons margarine

cup soy, rice or oat milk (for best results used unsweetened milk)

2 teaspoons salt ground white pepper or black pepper

FILL a large pot with water, leaving enough room for the potatoes. Add the salt to the water.

Wash your potatoes and peel them (or don"t), cut them into 1-inch chunks, and add them to the water. Bring the whole thing to a boil, then reduce to simmer, until the potatoes are soft (15-20 minutes). Drain.

Put the drained potatoes back in the pot or in a bowl, add the margarine, and mash with a potato masher or heavy-duty spoon. Add the soy milk or potato-cooking water and mash till desired consistency. Taste and add a little more margarine or soy milk if desired. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve!

Variations: Add 2-3 tablespoons of the following along with the margarine: pesto, finely chopped chives, parsley, roasted garlic Whisk into the soymilk (before adding to potatoes): 1-2 teaspoon wasabi powder or curry powder Low fat mashed potatoes you ask? Reduce margarine to 1 tablespoon (or omit entirely), and replace half or all of the soymilk with warm, reserved potato-cooking liquid.

For really smooth, creamy mashed potatoes try using this old fashioned gadget, the potato ricer. Looks a little like a giant garlic press, the potato ricer (and your biceps) transforms chunks of cooked potatoes into a fluffy, creamy ma.s.s. Best for use with starchy potatoes. If you use one we recommend first pressing hot, cooked potatoes first, then adding in margarine and soymilk.

RUTABAGA PUREE.

SERVES 4 TO 6.

TIME: 30 MINUTES.

Rutabaga is the unsung hero of the root vegetable world, unless you live in Sweden (then you"re probably like, "Enough with the rutabaga already!"). Fortunately, we"re in NYC where the rutabaga is always a nice surprise. They taste like a slightly sweeter turnip, and in this recipe rutabaga is pureed with a little coconut milk, lime juice, and just a tiny hint of agave, for a Thai twist. Also, try our variation for cilantro-pureed rutabaga. It would go wonderfully with the Tamarind Lentils (page 123).

Since you use very little coconut milk for this, make sure to cook some other recipe that calls for a full can. Most recipes won"t miss the cup (you can just add cup of water to make up for it).

Turnips work well with this recipe, too!

2 pounds rutabaga, peeled, cut into -inch chunks

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons agave syrup

teaspoon salt

PLACE the rutabaga in a medium-size lidded saucepan and cover with water. Put on the lid and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until the rutabaga is tender.

Drain and transfer to a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth. Serve immediately, while still warm.

Variation: Cilantro-Pureed Rutabaga: Add 2 loosely packed cups of chopped fresh cilantro to the food processor and blend until the rutabaga is bright green.

MASHED SPICED SWEET POTATOES.

SERVES 6.

TIME: 1 HOUR.

Everyone has a recipe like this, but this is the best one. Mashed sweet potatoes spiked with pumpkin pie-type spices, are wonderful alongside collards (see page 123) and grilled tofu.

3 pounds sweet potatoes

teaspoon salt

teaspoon ground cinnamon

teaspoon ground allspice

teaspoon ground nutmeg