Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
Similar veggies:
Celeriac
A quick introduction
Parsnips are slow growing plants that take almost a full season to mature! The roots that look like white carrots start to fatten up in fall and can be stored until the end of winter. Cold temperatures turn them sweeter, so you might notice how their taste develops throughout the fall and winter season. We think that parsnips are particularly suited to oven-roasting as their earthy and sweet taste benefits from a little caramelization (and their 'tails' become addictively crunchy). The leaves of parsnips are not edible and are actually a powerful skin irritant, which is why we wear gloves when thinning, weeding or harvesting parsnips.
Storage
Parsnips easily store for a week or two in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.
Season
Fall to winter
Suggestions for preparation
Parsnips have a very sweet and earthy taste that pairs well with orange, apples and maple syrup, to name a few things. Some people like to peel their parsnips but we find that thoroughly brushing them with a vegetable brush does the trick. We think roasting parsnips in the oven is the way to go and have found a few glazes and sauces that go particularly well with roasted parsnips (see recipes below).
Recipes
We love roasting parsnips, and there are so many ways to do just that! Check out this pan roasted parsnips with orange glazing, these roasted carrots and parsnips with cumin butter, or these delicious miso-roasted parsnips, or this spicy winter vegetable gratin (see second recipe) that combines many great root veggies.
We also recommend Ottolenghi's oven roasted winter vegetables recipe with a delicious caper dressing (from his book Plenty). We leave out the cherry tomatoes, since parsnips and cherry tomatoes are never in season together. But feel free to do as you like.
Check out this article by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, basically a love letter to parsnips, which gives both great recipes and insights about this veggie.