Steamed Winter Vegetables

2 lbs. carrots
1 med. rutabaga
1 lb. parsnips
1 small cabbage (optional)
3 To 5 slices bacon (optional)

Peel carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas; cut in 1/2 to 1 inch chunks.  Discard outer leaves of cabbage; wash and cut in wedges.  Put rutabagas and cabbage in steamer and cook 5 minutes.  Add carrots and cook 5 minutes or until almost tender.  Add parsnips and cook until just tender (they cook quite fast).  Put in bowl and sprinkle with melted butter, salt and pepper.  Or brown 3 slices bacon, cool, and crumble.  Mix 1 Tbsp. bacon grease with 3 cup vegetable steaming water.  Toss with steamed vegetables.  Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Donald and I went to a party on St. George Island at the home of some  Southern friends.  At midnight the music stopped and we ate.  One dish was potatoes, carrots, and rutabagas boiled together with about a pound of bacon.  It tasted wonderful!!  It was so good we developed this recipe which is also great and doesn’t call for a pound of bacon.