The White Carrot

A cousin to the carrot, parsnips are a vegetable that is often overlooked by gardeners and chefs alike. They are as easy to grow as carrots, only needing some extra time in the ground to get a good frost to sweeten them up. I planted my seeds in the summer along with the carrots and have left them in the safety of the vegetable bed, pulling up a half dozen good sized ones every week or so for dinner. It is a shame the sweet and earthy savor of this root is enjoyed by so few. They can be a little heavy on the calories, but that may have something to do with them being so delicious with a blanket of butter and cream. They tend to be very bulbous on top tapering to long and thin which can make it challenging to cut them into uniform size for cooking.

Parsnips with cream

6-8 parsnips
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
1-2 T Butter
1-2 T Cream
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and chop parsnips into approximately 2" lengths. In a pot over medium high heat, place parsnips the stock or water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain off liquid. Add butter, cream, salt and pepper then return to a very low heat for a minute or two just to warm the cream. Stir and serve with well flavored meat,
poultry or fish.