Who knew parsnips could be so delicious? Could it be that they are that much tastier having spent the winter (such as it has been) underground? Perhaps plucking them now has given them a chance to do something with their sugars… concentrate them, or some such. They are still alive and well – with the recent warm weather, the parsnips (like so many other things in the garden) are waking up. Fresh, green tops are growing. Given that we cheat and grow root vegetables like carrots and parsnips as annuals, I suppose it should come as no surprise that they are gearing up for year two of their biannual existence. Presumably, if we let them go and do their thing, they will grow exuberantly this year (their hefty, well-established roots would serve them well!), flower, and produce seeds of some sort. If we were going to collect parsnip seeds, the challenge will be leaving one or two in the ground long enough to let that happen. I’m tempted – we planted an open-pollinated variety, so the seeds should be viable.
Meanwhile, though, we have had to deal with (eat) an abundance of parsnips. Last week I made a vegetarian chili and substituted half the carrots called for with parsnips – very tasty. From the same cookbook (Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker: 200 Recipes for Healthy and Hearty Meals That Are Ready When You Are) I made French White Bean and Cabbage Soup.
Not only did I use up more parsnips, I was also able to fish out some of the Dark Creek cabbage I chopped up, blanched, and froze back in the fall. I really do like winter and all the fabulous soup, stew, and chili-type meals one enjoys!
The cookbook is excellent, btw – being a fan of both the slow cooker and vegetables, I’ve tested and enjoyed various recipes and found them all to be excellent. I confess that when I bought the cookbook, I wasn’t thinking of breakfasts – but oh my, the hot cereal recipes are GREAT! Bonus – by adding some of our Dark Creek Apple Butter to the oatmeal , I’ve found yet another way to enjoy our late season bonanza and actually break out of my multi-decades old habit of tea and toast for breakfast!
From Gumboot Goddess (via Facebook): sweet parsnips~ yumm! I must get a slow cooker, I've never used one, but love the idea. Just need to be organized in the morning. And that cookbook sounds great, too.
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to preserve parsnips, or do you just get to eat them all up at once?
From Lois (via Facebook):I don't have the second Whitewater Cookbook (a friend has it) but I have tasted the (cream of?) parsnip soup from it and won't be forgetting that experience. Do you put the applesauce in the oatmeal during cooking? (I've been using my dried apples in the oatmeal but have applesauce to use too.)
My reply (also via Facebook):
I suppose you could do whatever you might do with carrots. But we've found it's worked really well to just leave them in the ground and pluck them out as needed. As for the cream of parsnip soup, Lois - that sounds great!
I'm always tossing things into the oatmeal - (things being nuts and dried fruit of various kinds). When I use apple sauce (or the slightly thicker, tastier apple butter) I just reduce the water a bit and cook it all up together. Works well in the slow cooker - can't see why it wouldn't be fine using a quicker cooking method, too.