27 November, 2008

Almost the last harvest of 2008

I really didn't expect this. I've been looking at my parsnips with a feeling of foreboding - convinced they would turn out to be as small as the beetroots and hardly worth the incredibly long while. But no. Today I dug up one row and look at these. I've even added a ruler for scale. Look how long they are! So I think more parsnips next year. I was in two minds as they take forever to grow but this is definitely worth the wait.



They will be eaten tonight with lamb chops, sprouts and baked potatoes. I think I'm going to mash them with cream and garlic. If you haven't tried this, and like parsnips, then do. I think I found the recipe years ago in a magazine or something. It was from Joyce Molyneux of The Carved Angel in Dartmouth originally. You put the garlic still in their skin in with the parsnips when you boil them and then mash it all together and add cream and lots of pepper.

2 comments:

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Ah envious of these. All my parsnips failed to germinate this year (two sowings). And I love them. We do however have some fine leeks!

Joanna said...

That sounds a little like the Jane Grigson recipe I used, where you braise little chunks of parsnip in butter until they're soft, then add a lot of cream and mash it all up. Only for very special occasions. Or your own parsnips

Joanna