It was a good week for wandering. We met with a knitter friend for conversation and gigantic cups of chocolate and coffee and also found an organic market to supplement our CSA boxes.
We’ve got things sorted with the CSA people — now they know we’re vegetarians, they don’t put a single head of cabbage, some broccoli and cauliflower in a box and send it. Now we have — loads of stuff. We were amused to find that we got huge potatoes in addition to some ‘heritage’ or heirloom varieties which are quite small — mushrooms, the ubiquitous cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, swiss chard, spinach greens, and more kale than we know what to do with.
We also have… parsnips. Turnips are tasty. Turnips we can eat raw. Parsnips… we’re trying to figure out what to do with. Once again, we are GOING to eat the local flora of this place and like it or else. But we’re a little stuck for ideas on what to do with parsnips… so, anyone with suggestions, we’re open. Thanks.
To distract us from thinking up parsnip recipes, we have thick leeks, muddy windfall apples, more filthy red-orange carrots, and beetroot. As the weather has turned seriously cold with a sullen drizzle, we expect to stay in, keep warm, and create a lot of goodness with roasted beets and tasty kale.
(And can we just rhapsodize about local Scottish cheeses? Trying out a bit of organic Highland Cromal cheese in some broccoli cauliflower soup was an amazingly tasty experience. Our next task is to try something called crowdie…)
One of the other little goodies from the CSA box was a surprise for T — elderflower cordial. If anyone remembers reading Anne of Green Gables as a kid, they might understand her glee at drinking cordial! This is non-alcoholic, and very subtly flavored and scented. There are recipes all over, and this is the perfect, sophisticated alternative to wine so that everyone at your table can hold a glass and feel like they’re part of the party.
I’m wondering if it’d be any good to try and make a ginger cordial…
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Roast ’em. I likes me some roast parsnips. Roast ’em with roast potatoes and roast garlic. ROAST IT ALL!http:
I’m with Donal – roasted parsnips, yum!
Also, roasted parsnip soup is quite delicious.
yep, I’m with these guys – roast parsnips (with honey – yummy!) and soup. Spicy pasrnip, or with apple.
India
elderflower cordial. i am so jealous! i would love to know what anne swooned over! in regards to parsnips, silver palate says bake them with kumquats and pears or puree them with pears and cognac; the ultimate vegitarian cookbook (!?) suggests baking them in a curry pie with cheese, mixing them with baked potato and refilling the potato shells or potato & parsnip dauphinoise (like scalloped); my ancient tassajara cook book has them sauted with turnips and mushrooms; moosewood low fat makes them into curried carrot parsnip soup; and chez panisse says make them into chips (the u.k. variety), grill them or puree them with potato. email me if you are interested in the specifics. have fune and take care!
Hi, I am reading the Anne series right now and of course, remember the cordial!. Sounds like an interesting concept of the weekly boxes.
Emily Dunston
Sounds like a good box. I couldn’t see the first half of the post, a picture seemed to be covering it, but I enjoyed the rest!
I like parsnips roasted too!
Call me jealous of the cordial!
I first had parsnip soup in Scotland (in a pub in Armadale) and fell in love. Here’s a recipe that looks good; the nutmeg is key. Carrot and parsnip soup, as Jackie mentioned, is also delicious and is a good way to temper the parsnippiness if you don’t love them.
Thanks for the suggestions — and the recipe! I’m going to try roasting them with a bit of nutmeg and honey and some apples… and then I’ll see if they’ll go into a bread of some sort. . .
(Yes, say “Uh-oh” now. We all know where this type of rambling usually gets me!)
I agree with the roasting of parsnips. You can do a root vegetable bake with potatoes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, whatever, cut into large chunks.
Also, parsnips are really good in soups and stews. I like them in lamb stew/soup, which isn’t all that helpful for you guys. But they combine well with potatoes, carrots, and leeks.
Once a semester I end up with large amounts of parsnips because Rob buys them for his advanced students to draw in class, so I’ve figured out a few different things to do with them!
Okay, just as a change-up from the ‘roasted’ theme, I was told by my Irish friends that the would cook carrots and parsnips and then mash ’em, bit o’ salt and a dash of butter. Bit of a change. Besides, my kids like them disguised in the carrots….
And this explains why carrots and parsnips can be found packaged together in the supermarket.
Maryann has a nice recipe here http://findingladolcevita.blogspot.com/2007/09/roasted-corn-and-parsnips.html
Parsnip and sweet potatoes are also a good combination for roasting.
Once you’ve roasted those parsnips, dice ’em up and bake them in a savory bread pudding, with some of that nutmeg and some sage. Pretty tasty. You can use your favorite bread pudding recipe that is sweet, but take out the sweetner, add some salt and pepper and even some roast garlic. i can send a recipe if you like.
Ginger cordial can certainly work. I’ve never made any, though I have made elderflower, but I have a bottle of bought ginger cordial in my cupboard at the moment.
But if it isn’t alcoholic how will she anger her best friend’s mom and barf in the bushes?
Mmm. Leeks.