Parsnippin'

Today: My first parsnip experience.

I was a little apprehensive - but soon my worries vanished. As I peeled the first parsnip, the sweet smell of carrots emerged, followed by a pleasant peppery note. Because you have to peel them and then remove a large, stringy inner core, four parsnips (the amount per package sold by Giant) amounted to just barely enough to cover the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. I kind of panicked here because I thought that I would be getting a sizeable bowl, whereas the amount I was roasting was just barely enough to make a standard American-sized serving of mashed potatoes (read: about a third of a dinner plate).

But, after pureeing them in my mini food processor, I was delighted to taste them - slightly sweet, velvety, a little peppery, perfectly complemented with a hit of nutmeg. Would totally consume this aside some Thanksgiving turkey. This is a sampling of Irish pub food at its finest - and would make a terrific base for a primal shepherd's pie, which I will definitely be making the next time I can hit up Trader Joe's for some organic grass fed ground beef (the only retail source I know of around me).

And the dish was so very rich, so filling, that the amount made from four parsnips would easily satisfy two people. I could also easily see myself pureeing it with expressed breast milk for a perfect baby's first food.

After reading through a couple of parsnip recipes, I adapted this for my own purposes.

Mashed Parsnips
Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 parsnips, washed, peeled, stringy core removed, and cubed in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 stick butter (or 4 tablespoons roasting oil of choice)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
~1 c. half'n'half (could possibly substitute coconut milk if you do not do dairy)

Directions:
Spread cubed parsnips in the bottom of a 9"x13" dish. Melt butter and nutmeg in microwave, then drizzle over parsnip cubs and stir to combine. Roast at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until just golden brown. Use slotted spoon to remove parsnips from dish, place in mini food processor or food processor, and puree, adding half'n'half bit by bit until desired texture is achieved.