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Parsnip — No, It’s Not a White Carrot.
Relative to carrots and parsley, this vegetable is popular the world over but not so much in America. Rescue this root from your produce aisle and give it a try — you won’t be sorry. Featuring recipes for Parsnip Cake and Parsnips cooked with Dashi.
“For ….we can make liquor to sweeten our lips of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips.” Henry David Thoreau, ‘Walden’ (1854)
![[[File:PastinakePflanzegeerntet.jpg|PastinakePflanzegeerntet]]](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1100/format:webp/1*j-m8Erl2TxsIF7nByRHkFw.jpeg)
My first exposure to parsnips was in a bento box. One of the items along with the pork katsu, rice and pickles was a slow-braised parsnip cooked in dashi (a broth using kombu). The sweetness of the vegetable surprised me and the intense flavor of the vegetable shone through. Experimenting with parsnips I have used them in a mash with potatoes or yams, roasted parsnips with browned butter, and have used them in stews, braises, and of course soups where they have added a subtle flavor. I never make beef and barley soup without it.
The parsnip is an often overlooked vegetable. I know you have seen it in the vegetable section and have wondered, “What the hell is that?” It was once fairly common in…
