naturally sweet

It’s the second day of “operation refrigerator clean-out”. Today I found a bag of parsnips I purchased at the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market from the McClendon’s Select booth 2 weeks ago. I bought them with the thought that my boys might like to use them for their Mother’s Day dinner, but the boys had other plans for the vegetable course. It actually didn’t surprise me, in my opinion, parsnips are one of the most underrated root vegetables. For example; if you search for potato recipes on epicurious.com, over 2100 entries come up. The search for carrots brings forward nearly 1600 recipes. And for parsnips – a mere 209 entries. That’s not right! Like potatoes and carrots, parsnips are a root vegetable. And a delicious one at that, they are related to carrots, and they resemble carrots but have a paler, light tan peel. Until the potato arrived from the New World, parsnips were the root vegetables of choice in Europe and elsewhere around the world. Parsnips are naturally sweet and can be boiled, roasted, pureed, or used in stews, casseroles, and soups.  Additionally, they are rich in potassium and are a good source of dietary fiber. So, I give you this recipe as I give out props to parsnips!

Roasted Parsnips

1 1/2 pounds (about 6 medium) parsnips, peeled, cut on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. On the foil, toss parsnip slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Spread parsnips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter.

Roast parsnips for 20 minutes. Using tongs, turn parsnips; roast until lightly browned, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer parsnips to a plate and season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4