Thursday Feb 17th- Parsnips

I have always been curious to cook with parsnips so last night I decided to make them my first food to cook with. Parsnips are cool because they are the cousin to the carrot but they have a starchy substance similar to the potato. They were originally from Europe and grew in the wild. To the Romans they were considered a  fine food like the truffle is. The parsnip was brought over to the United States during the sixteenth century but today they are not very popular to us Americans. 

As for last night I wasn't feeling very hungry so I decided I would make mashed parsnips. I purchased the parsnips at the Co-Op but I forgot to check where they came from I am thinking somewhere in Washington. Below is the recipe I got off the food network website. 

• 1 pound parsnips, peeled and sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 clove of garlic, peeled and gently smashed
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Parsley for garnish

Directions

Put parsnips in a pot, season with salt and cover with milk and cream. Add garlic, bay and thyme then place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, the tip of a paring knife should easily go through without resistance - about 12 to 15 minutes.

Place parsnips in a food processor with butter and pour in enough of the milk mixture to puree the parsnips and achieve the texture ofwhipped cream. Season with salt and pepper then finish with a sprinkle of parsley

I ended up omitting the milk and substituting it for soymilk, as well as the heavy cream I used half and half. I also only used 2 tablespoons of butter rather than a stick and I didn't have a bay leaf or parsley but I made it work with what I had. The picture isn't the most flattering but it tasted delicious.