Parsnip might not be everyone's favourite vegetable. But I have always enjoyed eating them. Especially roasted but I love them mashed or mashed with carrots - along with a generous knob of butter and salt and pepper (of course).
Last November I transplanted a large tray of seedlings into my humble garden. Within weeks I had a massive green display of lush parsnip tops - in fact they overtook my garden. Great to see them grow so well but I was a little concerned about the lushness of the greenery - what was happening down below......?
Plan A - this week it was time to see if there was anything worth eating. (I did try this a month or so ago and ended up with a parsnip about the size of child's pencil!).
First step - grab the green bit, next step - pull - I said pull! I wasssss pulling - in fact with such purpose the green bit came out (and I fell back hard on my bottom) and the bit I really wanted, the white parsnip bit - was still firmly in the ground!
At this point (in a sitting position on the path) the man of the house happened along. 'You are not pulling hard enough' - watch he said - like this - pull! and exactly the same thing happened.... point made - but thanks for the demo!
Plan B - a rather serious, really big dig finally got them out! And the reason they were so hard to remove - they had formed into a strange underground triffid shape. Ummm... aren't they supposed to be a simple conical shape he asked!
In spite of their extreme ugliness - after I had finished with them they tasted absolutely wonderful! If you do not like parsnip - really give this a try.
Kristeen's Parsnip Dip.
Make sure the parsnips are scrubbed well - if fresh from the garden there is no need to peel them.
Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper, place in a roasting pan and cover tightly with tinfoil.
Bake in a moderate oven. They should done in about 1 hour, test by poking a knife through the tinfoil.
Once cooled a little, place the parsnips and any oil and juices left in the pan into a kitchen whizz, and depending on the amount of parsnips, add about one teaspoon of curry paste and seasoning, test to your taste and add more if necessary.
If a little thick, (and with the parsnips still warm) drizzle a little oil into the mix while the whizz is running, this will ensure a smooth texture and make it easier to serve as a dip. Garnish with a few toasted sesame seeds.
We had our (still slightly warm) dip with a new rice cracker we have come to enjoy. We could have easily ate the whole bowl in one sitting but thought it best to save some to enjoy with drinks another night. I hope you enjoy this simple little dish. It is perfect for my vegetarian and vegan friends.
Last November I transplanted a large tray of seedlings into my humble garden. Within weeks I had a massive green display of lush parsnip tops - in fact they overtook my garden. Great to see them grow so well but I was a little concerned about the lushness of the greenery - what was happening down below......?
Plan A - this week it was time to see if there was anything worth eating. (I did try this a month or so ago and ended up with a parsnip about the size of child's pencil!).
First step - grab the green bit, next step - pull - I said pull! I wasssss pulling - in fact with such purpose the green bit came out (and I fell back hard on my bottom) and the bit I really wanted, the white parsnip bit - was still firmly in the ground!
At this point (in a sitting position on the path) the man of the house happened along. 'You are not pulling hard enough' - watch he said - like this - pull! and exactly the same thing happened.... point made - but thanks for the demo!
Plan B - a rather serious, really big dig finally got them out! And the reason they were so hard to remove - they had formed into a strange underground triffid shape. Ummm... aren't they supposed to be a simple conical shape he asked!
Kristeen's Parsnip Dip.
Make sure the parsnips are scrubbed well - if fresh from the garden there is no need to peel them.
Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper, place in a roasting pan and cover tightly with tinfoil.
Bake in a moderate oven. They should done in about 1 hour, test by poking a knife through the tinfoil.
If a little thick, (and with the parsnips still warm) drizzle a little oil into the mix while the whizz is running, this will ensure a smooth texture and make it easier to serve as a dip. Garnish with a few toasted sesame seeds.
We had our (still slightly warm) dip with a new rice cracker we have come to enjoy. We could have easily ate the whole bowl in one sitting but thought it best to save some to enjoy with drinks another night. I hope you enjoy this simple little dish. It is perfect for my vegetarian and vegan friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment