![]() ![]() We want to help change that because parsnips rock! They are delicious, affordable, and readily available (you can typically buy them year-round). ![]() In fact, parsnips are a close relative to carrots but they’re not nearly as popular. It is being studied for its cancer-fighting properties, which come from a phytochemical called falcarinol.Parsnips are a root vegetable that sort of look like a white-ish carrot. It’s rich in potassium and a respectable source of calcium, iron, Vitamin C and folate. One cup of raw parsnips contains six grams of fiber, at 100 calories. Why not parsnips in the bakery case? Parsnip Nutrition But as mentioned earlier, parsnips are even sweeter than carrots, which make it into baked goods all the time. Morgan also has a recipe for a triple layer parsnip cake, an idea that might seem peculiar on first blush. For a sweet approach, try this technique for poaching parsnips in coconut milk from “The Organic Cook’s Bible” by Jeff Cox: “Poach quartered roots in barely simmering coconut milk until almost tender, then finish by sautéing them in a little butter with a pinch of salt, and at the end add a splash of coconut milk from the poaching liquid and reduce it until it glazes the roots.” Parsnips like warm spices – ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, curry, cardamom, as well as sugar in all forms, from maple syrup to the granulated stuff. In her new cookbook “Roots,” Diane Morgan suggests adding sautéed diced parsnips to spaghetti carbonara for a twist on an old classic. You can add parsnips into any dish that you would add a root or vegetable to. You’ll end up with a mash that’s a little bit earthier, with a hint of sweetness and a whole bunch more nutrients. The next time you’re making mashed potatoes, add one or two quartered parsnips to the mix, along with a whole clove of garlic. Before coating in fat for roasting (or sautéing), be sure to towel dry the parboiled parsnips or you’ll end up with steamed parsnips instead. Roasting coaxes the nuttiness out of parsnips, but many cooks do a quick parboil to help soften the starch first. <<View All Real Food Encyclopedia Entries Until the potato arrived from the New World, the parsnip was the apparent root of choice in medieval Europe, providing both humans and their livestock starchy sustenance (parsnips still have a reputation as animal feed) and it was a sweet alternative to honey, which was scarce. In his book “Cabbages and Kings,” culinary scholar Jonathan Roberts notes that Charlemagne insisted that parsnips be grown on his 9th century estate. Roman scholar Pliny the Elder refers to pastinaca in his “Naturalis Historia” in first century CE, but many historians claim that he was referring to both the parsnip and its more pigmented cousin, the carrot.įrom there the root migrated north and found its way into the medieval gardens of France, Britain and Germany. The story is that the wild parsnip probably hails from the southern part of Europe, around the Mediterranean, and most likely cultivated since Roman times. Vegetable gardeners claim that the parsnip is one of the few root vegetables that happily stays underground to “winter over,” a nifty tip for those gardeners with limited indoor storage space. In fact, a frost will intensify its sugar content and residual sweetness. The parsnip tends to have a thinner tip and typically is sold without its green tops, which can irritate the skin.Īs sweet as the carrot is, the parsnip is even sweeter. ![]() Contrary to popular belief, the parsnip is not a genetic mutation of the carrot, but the two are botanically related. The stories are true – the parsnip does look an albino carrot, usually a shade of pale yellow, ivory or off-white. ![]()
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