Parsnip Parsimony

Okay, this post doesn’t have much to do with parsimony, but it was just so alliterative. I will, however, be talking about parsnips.

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with parsnips, as was I. That is, until last week, when a nice lady at our church invited us over to dig some from her garden. Harvesting vegetables in the dead of winter appealed to me, as did trying a new veggie.

According to my Western Garden Book:

(Parsnips) are a carrot relative form Siberia and Europe; grown for its delicately sweet creamy white to yellowish roots, most often used in stews.

Sounded yummy, now to find a recipe. (Not to follow, mind you, but as a jumping off point.) I have recently decided that instead of running to the internet to find recipes, I need to look through my kajillions of recipe books first. So, I did. I have vegetable recipe books galore, but no luck on a parsnip recipe. Finally, I found one in my trusty Taste of Home Cookbook. Pretty basic and simple. Sounded good to me.

1. I peeled the parsnips.
2. I cut up the parsnips into small pieces.
3. I placed the parsnips into a baking dish.
4. I poured about 1/4 cup of water over the parsnips
5. I dabbed a few dots of butter over the top of parsnips.
6. I shook salt, pepper and italian seasoning onto the parsnips.
7. I baked at 400F for about 30-40 minutes.
8. I was partook of the a parsnips and was pleased. Similar to a potato, but a bit sweeter.

If you have not tried these delicious root vegetable, I recommend them.

Image by Dave Walker.

Sorry about the crummy pictures, but you know the story of my camera.