Savour the Season: Parsnips

Parsnips (Pastinaca savita), elicit either love or a polite, yet patient smile. Boiled, mashed, fried or roasted, parsnips are versatile pale golden, carrot-like veggies that are winter staples.

History
Parsnips are native to western Asia and Europe and have been eaten there for more than 2000 years. Wild parsnips are small, woody and inedible, but perhaps because of their natural sweetness and parsnippy scent, they may have been used as a flavouring agent. Over years of cultivation, farmers tweaked them to be larger…and, well…edible.

The Roman Emperor Tiberius had them brought from the Rhine to Rome, where encouraged farmer to cultivate them. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to truly gauge how they were used in Classical cooking as Greek and Roman writers used the term “pastinaca” for both carrots and parsnips. As with many things of a certain form, Ancient Romans imbued them with aphrodisiac-like powers.

Mediaeval Europeans found two important uses for parsnips—they served double duty as a starch and a sweet substitute for the more expensive sugar and honey. Parsnips were preferred for their flavour, nourishment and were eaten with saltfish during Lent’s meatless fasting periods.

As sugar became readily available and less expensive, coupled with the potato’s introduction the parsnip’s popularity decreased. Apart from northern Europe and Great Britain, worldwide consumption is relatively small.

Etymology
The English word “Parsnip” can be traced to pastinaca, with the “nip” added to indicate that it was like a turnip.

Varieties
In Ontario, the principal commercial varieties are All-American, Hollow Crown Improved and Harris Model. They are all similar in size, taste and colour. The parsnip’s tough, wiry root, tapers from the crown to the root. Its tough and furrowed stem can grow from 30-60cm high with 20cm-long leaf-stalks; the leaves divided into several pairs of leaflets, each 2.5-5cm long and about 1.5-2 cm wide. Leaflets are fuzzy, especially on the underside.

Experiencing
Not everyone likes parsnip’s flavour and many have troubles pairing it with food (but it goes nicely with salty dishes such as ham or salt cod.). Its flavour is a sweet, nutty, spicy and sometimes peppery taste.

Parsnips do well with long cooking techniques such as casseroles, stews, or even oven-roasted on its own. The veg can also be microwaved, steamed or boiled. Classic preparations include mashed parsnips topped with buttered bread crumbs, glazed, creamed or in soups. The Dutch use them in soups, while the Irish make a type of beer with them.

Keeping
Select firm, moderately-sized veggies as large ones can be woody. Their surface should be relatively clean and free of surface blemishes. Avoid ones that are limp, shrivelled, or spotted. Store them, refrigerated, in a plastic bag for up to two weeks.

So…do you love them, hate them, or simply indifferent? If you want to declare your feelings towards this root, Dave Walker can help...yes, that Dave Walker.

cheers!
jasmine

tags: Dave Walker Parsnips

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SHF #29: A bread pudding for my mummy

"Hi Mummy! It's me!"
"Oh Jasmine! How is Beanie?"
"Beanie thinks he's starving."
"Of course he does--because you don't feed him. How's little Hagia?"
"She's okay. She has night duty, so I don't see her that much."
"And Zeusie?"
"I think he's okay. I haven't seen him in a couple of weeks."
"Mmmmm..."
"How are things there? How's Daddy?"
"It is so hot here. During the day it is 85. I have to bath so many times. Daddy is only coughing a few times at night."
"Well, that's better. I have a question. Do you have any of those cocoa beans left?"
"Oh yes. Go downstairs into the basement. Go into the room under the kitchen. The are in the near buckets. NOT the far ones."
"Okay, thanks."
"Why, what are you going to do?"
"I wanted to make a pudding."
"Oh, I ground some beans and put them in the kitchen. Use that. It's easier than grinding them yourself."
"Oh. Okay. Where did you put them?"
"In the cupboard."
"Uh huh. In which cupboard?"
"The one next to the stove, on the top--you'll need the stool. You can't reach it."
"Uh-huh. And how did you put it up there?"
"I used the [step]ladder."
"Uh-huh."
"You know, I wanted to tell you something."
"Mmmm?"
"I haven't been able to eat anything yummy because of the diet the doctor put Daddy on."
"Mmm-Hmmm?"
"I'm like Beanie. I see all that chicken, but I'm not allowed to have any. Have you made him some chicken? You know he would like some."
"No, I haven't made him any chicken lately."
"There's some in the freezer. Take some and make it for him."
"Yeah. I think he's fine with the cat food. Anyway..."
"Oh yes. Where was I? I decided to make bread pudding. I haven't had anything nice in so long. I thought if you were here you would eat it with me."
"Yeah--it's so nice--"
"--with that yummy crunchy top. Yes. Listen. I got the eggs and the milk and the bread. I got everything, and you know what?"
"You realised Daddy isn't supposed to eat eggs while he is takes his medicine?"
"No. Don't be silly. The pudding is not for him. It was for me. And you, if you were here. No, I forgot one thing. Just one little thing"
"What? Butter? Vanilla? Sugar"
"I forgot the oven."
"You forgot to set the oven."
"No. Listen to me. I forgot I had no oven here [makes a melodramatic fake crying noise]."
"How could you forget you didn't have an oven?"
"I don't know. I just forgot."
"Well...you have a microwave, why don't you use that."
"Don't be silly. You can't get a nice crunchy top with that microwave."
"But the one you have here can be turned into a normal oven--"
"No. Daddy bought this one and I can't do anything with it."
"I see."
"I really wanted that pudding. It was going to be so nice and crunchy and sweet."
"I know, Mum."
"Oh, and how are you doing?..."

That was a conversation I had with my darling little Mummy a couple of weeks ago, when I found out about Emily's SHF theme: Raw Chocolate. My heart went out for her. I mean, I know what it's like to get so far down that process only to have a crucial item not be there. And my mummy does like her bread pudding...

So, instead of making the chocolate mint pudding I wanted to make with the cocoa beans she has in the basement, I decided to make a bread pudding. The more I thought of it, the more I started craving Nutella. Don't ask me why. I just did. So...I decided to make a Nutella bread pudding with a chocolate custard made from the cocoa beans my mum ground up.

The sandwiches were slathered with butter and Nutella--easy peasy. The custard was made of five egg yolks, half a litre of cream (1 1/2c heavy cream and 1/2c water), a rounded tablespoon of sugar and a big heaping serving spoon of cocoa powder. Pour the custard over the bread and let it soak in a bit. Bake at 180C/350 F for about 30-40 minutes.

I know the picture may not look like much, but trust me...it's nummy.

cheers!
jasmine

tags: SHF

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Bits and bites

Yes, my busy bees are back--any and every excuse to bring them back...

Beanie updated you a bit as to what's going on over here on my side of the screen--he can be such a good boy sometimes.

Well, until I can get a "real" post up, here are a few things for you think about

Dorie Greenspan has a blog! Okay, I'm probably the last person in foodbloggerdom to know this. It's not totally food related, so it gives you an idea as to what she's been up to. If you're not sure who she is or why I'm happy to have found her blog, here's my review of her latest tome.

SHF #29: Raw chocolate approacheth...Emily of Chocolate in Context is hosting this month and she's picked a great theme: unrefined chocolate. Not sure what that's all about? Read her post to find out. Participation deadline is 26 March.

I need to live vicariously through someone...but not just anyone. No, the person I'll live vicariously through is someone who will take a cooking course in Italy with Faye of Fayefood the week of 21-28 April. She emailed me today about an open spot for a couple of people interested in a week of cooking, eating and sightseeing in Cortona, Deruta and Assisi...yes ITALY. She had last-minute cancellations and is looking for people who may be interested in attending. Classes will take place at the local bakery, an olive oil tasting, dinner at Villa La Macchia, the home of the Scarpaccini family, and four Italian cooking classes by Faye, great tour guides, and of course a whole lot of fun. The regular price is 1050 euro pp (excluding airfare and transport), but she's offering a 25 per cent discount. If you or someone you know may be interested, email her at fayehess at earthlink dot net (you know what to do). Quite honestly, if I weren't so up-to-my-eyeballs, I'd probably see if I could swing it myself...but I can't...if someone reading this ends up going, please let me know and let me know how it goes.

Okay...that's it....I need to write an essay...well...research an essay...think about researching an essay...eat some chocolate cake...that's it...eat some chocolate cake...

cheers!
jasmine


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