The sweetest of all the Roots

I am trying to practice what I preach and eat in season.  It can be a challenge sometimes.  I love salads- you know the kind- leafy greens.  I know that unless it came from a hot house it just isn't grown in Central PA in the dead of winter.  So I am trying to make nontraditional salads.  Saturday I roasted a head of cauliflower and handful or two of Brussels sprouts. With just a little olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, it was the best cauliflower I have ever eaten.  I am not sure if the roasting brought out the sweetness in the cauliflower, but I am certain that this will be my cooking method of choice from now on.

I went to the farmers market today and purchased some vegetables that are new to me.  I bought some purple potatoes and parsnips. I can't wait to try them! 

Parsnips are cousins with carrots,sweeter in taste than carrots and have the fragrance of celery. Similar in appearance to the carrot, parsnips are white in color.  Parsnips yield a higher amount of vitamin C and vegetable protein then carrots or potatoes.  They are also rich in fiber, potassium and folic acid.

Keep the following in mind when purchasing parsnips:
1. They come in a variety of colors from pale yellow to white
2. Like carrots, they should be firm, not limp
3. They can grow up to 20 inches in length, but are at their flavor peak when picked at 8 inches or so
4. If they are too large in diameter they are over mature and will be woody in taste, so select skinnier parsnips.
5. Avoid any parsnip with moist spots.

Some important things to remember when cooking parsnips:

1. To bring out the sweetness of the parsnips garnish with cinnamon, mace, ginger or nutmeg.
2. Because of their fibrous nature, parsnips cannot be eaten raw, as carrots are. 
3. To keep them tender do not overcook. Their flavor and nutrients are their height when cooked to tender.

Ready to give them a try?  Here is recipe you can try.

Maple Glazed Parsnips

Ingredients-

2 cups of parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 T maple syrup
1/2 t butter, melted
2 T chopped walnuts

Directions-

1. Spray a baking dish with pan with oil.
2. Place parsnips rounds in a single layer into pan and spray lightly with oil.
3. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender
5. While the parsnips are roasting, combine the butter and syrup.
6. After you have removed the parsnips from the oven, pour butter syrup mixture over parsnips and top with chopped walnuts. Serve.

Recipe courtesy of Simply in Season