Wash and pare rutabagas. Slice and cook in boiling or simmering water until tender. Force through a potato ricer or colander. Season with salt and pepper. Add fat and a little cream or milk. Beat and serve hot. A little sugar may be added.
Back when we lived in Bismarck, we used to make the 85-mile trip to visit Grandma and Grandpa once in a while. They lived behind Grandpa’s store, actually a real estate office in the small town of Beulah, North Dakota. The bottom drawer of Grandpa’s file cabinet was full of toys. I remember having watermelon straight from their garden. Of all the Sunday dinners Grandma cooked for us, I only remember her mashed rutabagas. This might have been her recipe.