Parsnips – The Other Root Vegetable

March is the perfect month for parsnips.  I have been missing out – usually I just put parsnips in my soup, but I need to expand my uses.  I was eating dinner out recently and the side was roasted carrots and parsnips – instant love!  These will definitely make it into the garden this year!  They were not easy to find – but I did find organic parsnips at Whole Foods.  Since these grow as a root, duh! – the soil is even more important – so please only choose organic for these or any root vegetable.

Try both or one of these simple parsnips recipes – I think you will also get hooked!  Parsnips are full of nutrition – they contain complex carbohydrates and fiber which will help with your digestive health and help lower cholesterol and they also have calcium, potassium, folic acid, iron, zinc and B vitamins – so they have A LOT to offer!

Oven Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

Ingredients

1 pound parsnips (choose medium sized)
1 pound carrots
4+ gloves garlic (cut in half)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

1. Wash and peel the parsnips and carrots.

2. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

3. Cut them into julienne strips about 3″ long, you want them all about the same length and thickness.

4. Peel and cut your garlic.

5. Place all in a baking dish and pour some olive oil, toss and season with salt and pepper.  You want them in a single layer.

 

6. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, tossing every 10 – 15 minutes.  Mine cooked in about 30 minutes – check them each time you toss.

Serve as the side.  Stella loved these and said they tasted like ice cream!

Mashed Parsnips

Ingredients

Parsnips (about a pound)
Butter

1. Wash and peel the parsnips.

 

2. The center of the parsnip is tough (see picture and you can see the center) Cut into pieces that are about 3″, when you get to the fatter end, depending on the size of the core – you will want to cut around that. You want all the pieces about the same size.

3. Place the parsnips in a pot of salted water.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until soft.

4. Turn the water off and remove the parsnips with a slotted spoon and place in a glass bowl.  Do not throw out the water.  Put a couple pats of butter in the bowl and mash with a potato masher.  If it seems dry add more butter or some of the cooking water.  Let the remaining cooking water cool and use to water your plants.

 

 

 

 

Serve as a side.  Parsnips go well with meats and fish.  Stella inhaled these!

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3 Responses to Parsnips – The Other Root Vegetable

  1. Candace says:

    Okay. You have convinced me that I need to plant parsnips and add them to my repertoire of menus. That’s how good your blog is…. very convincing. : )

  2. Candace says:

    Yum. Will send you a parsnip soup recipe I just received. : )

  3. Jo says:

    Off to buy parsnips! Put them in a stew last week

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