Fit Fare

Many people probably consider the potato to be the default root vegetable, the tuber of our lives, the staple starch you turn to in times of need. However, in the greater scheme, potatoes are a relatively new player in European-influenced cooking. Like tomatoes, which have come to define Italian cooking, potatoes are a New World product. Before 1500 or so (and even after, except for the elite few who could afford imports), potatoes were basically unavailable in European cuisine. It wasn’t until about 1900 that potatoes eclipsed other starchy roots in popularity.

Photo courtesy of the World Community Cookbook

So what did people use instead? Why, the gentle parsnip, of course. It looks like a pale, somewhat irregular carrot, and a parsnip would make perfect snowman’s nose if the snowman were more of a snow witch. If you buy the parsnip commercially, it is important to remove the waxy coating with a vegetable peeler before preparing and eating. The wax is added post-harvest to protect against spoilage. Parsnips grow well in climates with a short growing season, and they are particularly well-suited to cooler climates, since the starch in parsnips does not develop into sugar until after the first frost.

Parsnips are similar to carrots in flavor, but with a stronger, richer flavor that mellows and sweetens beautifully with roasting. Parsnips and potatoes are approximately equivalent nutritional choices, with potatoes having the edge in potassium and Vitamin C, but parsnips coming ahead in folate. Parsnips are much more nutritionally dense than carrots, with less sodium, more fiber, more potassium, and twice the folate.

Next time you’re in the mood to try a new tuber in your stew, or for a nice accompaniment to roast meats and vegetables, don’t pass by the parsnips.

Suggested recipes: Gingered Carrot and Parsnip Soup, Parsnip and Rosemary Risotto, Honey Roast Parsnip and Pear Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing