Hi Folks,
Do you remember me telling you that I'm a poor gardener but am attempting to grow some veg? Well, on Sunday I decided to pull some more parsnips for dinner. I pulled 3 perfectly ordinary ones then struggled with the fourth. For some reason I wasn't strong enough to pull it out. I had to resort to a trowel to help me and no wonder, it measured almost 10 inches long with a girth of around 8.5" ! Now DH was pleased with the size but, to me, small is beautiful; tender and sweet. Yes, it was as tough as old boots when I roasted it with the potatoes. For heaven's sake why do I listen to a man!
They are supposed to be coreless parsnips but I took out the core anyway and still it was tough. Any suggestions as to how else I could have cooked it other than simmered in a stew would be much appreciated....
Whilst tidying the garden I came across this little chap eating his breakfast. What a shame my photography skills are no better than my gardening ones....
I almost forgot, I found four luscious strawberries too tucked away at the back of the plant. They were lovely sliced up into the last bit of yogurt for lunch.
Thanks for popping in....
I just love roasted parsnips, sometimes I do a tray of roasted potatoes, carrots and parsnips the same time as I am cooking a joint.
ReplyDeleteThey are one of my favourites too, HH. I don't eat meat though so never cook a joint, just the occasional bit of steak for DH when it's on offer.
DeleteI'm with happy or you could save yourself some hasstle and steam the veg then pop into roast. If I have a lot of veg bought reduced as a rule I blanch in batches and leave the ones with the strongest flavour till last as I scoop out the veg as I go and cool in a bowl of water. Using the veg water as a base for either a veg soup or a stew or if I have a bird or a piece of meat to roast stick it in the pan for gravy. We are on a water meter here so I try and be as cautious with the water as I can be. If not I freeze it in an ice cube tray and pop them out into a old bread bag for use at a later day so can use as much or as little as I need. I go this with gray and sauces as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Rachel, brilliant tips there! I'll try steaming first with the next batch, it might tenderise them a bit before roasting. We are not on a water meter but I do still try to conserve water as much as possible.
Deleteoh another thing I do is if the veg (root and spuds) needs to be peeled for the dish you are making but the skins and the tips are in good order I freeze those back and use them to make a blended beg soup or as a blended base for a slow cooker meal
ReplyDelete