i think julia was a genius, even if she did enjoy some things that will never touch my lips a second time (i'm speaking of gin and sweetbreads, jessica!). in one of her books, she said that simmering parsnips with a little cream gives them another whole character, and she is right. she said to puree the steamed parsnips, which i don't bother to do...

in a double boiler, cook:

1 pound of cleaned parsnips, cut into chunks
when tender, add a grating of nutmeg
stir in about a 1/2 to 2/3 C of cream
season to taste
cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes
correct the seasoning and serve

San, cooking parsnips in cream or milk goes back to at least colonial days. Pomate of Parsnips, for instance, was often served at Fort Niagara:

2 lb parsnips
1/2 cup cream (approx)
6 tbls butter
2 tbls brown sugar
1 tbls lemon juice
salt

Peel parsnips, cut in pieces, and place in pot of boiling salted water. Boil until soft.

Mash parsnips and combine with butter, sugar, and lemon juice. Add enough cream so parsnips resemble creamy mashed potatoes.

Serve on fried or toasted bread

One of the recipes I picked up during my magazine clipping marathon has become a favorite. We generally cut the recipe in half:

Carrots & Parsnips with Rosemary

8 carrots
8 parsnips
1 small branch fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried)
3 cups chicken stock
6 tbls chilled butter
Salt & pepper

Cut carrots and parsnips into thin, 2-3 inch julienne strips. Chop the rosemary leaves.

Bring chicken stock to a simmer. Blanch the carrots in the stock untiol tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and cook the parsnips inthe same stock until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove parsnips and boil the stock until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 25 minutes.

Swirl in the butter. Stir in the rosemary, carrots and parsnips. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

My notes: This should work just as well with fresh tarragon, but give it a different flavor.

Most store-bought parsnips have cores that are too tough. So pieces should be cored before julienne cutting.

GLAZED BERMUDAS

6 Bermuda onions, peeled
2 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted
¼ cup honey
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
3 Tbs. water

Halve onions and put cut side up in large casserole with cover. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over onions. Cover and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 1 ½ hours, or until cooked, basting with sauce.

You can also cut the recipe in half and bake in a couple of custard cups in a pan of water. Reduce cooking time to about 20 minutes.

CARROT CUSTARD Â serves 6

14 oz. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tbs. butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1/ 2 cup milk
3 Tbs. evaporated milk
1/ 4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/ 2 tsp. salt
dash of black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and put rack in middle oven position. Butter a 9 inch round cake pan and set aside. Put a kettle of water on to boil.

Boil carrots until very tender, about 30 minutes, and drain. In blender or food processor, process carrots with the butter for 10 seconds. Add remaining ingredients and process for 30 seconds more, until well pureed. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pour mixture into cake pan and put the pan in a large ovenproof pan. Pour enough boiling water around it to come halfway up the side of the cake pan. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Mixture will be firm and set. If using immediately, allow enough time to let it rest for 10 minutes after it has been taken out of the water. When ready to serve, loosen edges gently with a knife and invert it onto the serving platter.

Winter veggie bake
Rutabega, butternut squash onions, carrots and sweet potato. Peel, slice all veggies into 1/4 inch slices and "shingle" them in a baking dish. dot with butter, salt and pepper, give a splash of white wine, apple juice or cider, cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes at 375. remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.
Linda C

San - I like what you're doing with these veggie threads.
Here's a recipe that I clipped off of a bag of baby red potatoes several years back. What I really like about it is that you don't have to use the oven so they don't compete for space/temperature if you're roasting meat and you don't heat up the kitchen in the summer if you're grilling.

PAN ROASTED HERBED BABY RED POTATOES

Wash, but do not peel baby red potatoes (how many? I'm not sure - I used the whole small bag and the recipe "serves 4"). Place into a heavy medium size fry pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 25 minutes over low heat, ocassionally rolling the pan to evenly brown the potatoes. Now add 1 peeled, crushed clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1 tablespoon each fresh chopped rosemary and thyme (if fresh are not available, substitue 1 teaspoon each of dried). Cover pan and cook until done, about 10 minutes more.

These are really pretty, and go well with roasted and grilled meats.

Here's one that was all the rage awhile back:

Diane's Home Cookin Chapter: Vegetables

Copper Pennies
==============
1 cup sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato soup
2 pounds carrots, peeled, cooked, and sliced
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
. Combine the sugar, vinegar, oil, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt,
and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove
from the heat and add the soup. Mix the carrots, onion, and bell pepper
together in a large glass dish; pour the sauce over the vegetables,
stir gently to combine, and refrigerate overnight. This salad will keep
for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator

Servings: 12
My friend Elaine uses the cooper Pennie recipe as a base for a pasta salad-- using a elbow pasta-- good that way too.

This has become a family favorite:
Home Cookin Chapter: Vegetables

Zesty Carrot Bake
=================
1 1 # carrots cut into ½ inch slice
2 tablespoons minced onion
3/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon Fresh grd pepper
½ c. dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Butter , melted
½ c. shredded sharp cheddar
. Cook carrots until barely tender. Place in 1 qt oven dish; set aside.
Mix next 5 ingred & pour over carrots. Combine breadcrumbs & melted
butter. Sprinkle on top. Bake 350 degrees for 15-30 min, sprinkle with
cheese & continue baking for 2-3 min.

I use light mayo & 50% reduced fat cheese & it still tastes good.

Deep Fried Yucca

Take 1 large Yucca Root and peel it. It is easier to peel if you blanch it, just pour boiling water over it and let it sit for a minute. Make sure you peel the pinkess layer under the skin too. Cut into french fry lengths, making sure to remove the stringy center. Deep fry until golden brown. Fried yucca root is a slightly sweet, nutty flavor and delicious in place of potatoes.

I love root vegetables! Here is something a little different that we enjoy every year:

{{!gwi}}

4 medium turnips
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoons sugar or more to taste
1 tablespoon parsley flakes

Peel turnips and dice into small cubes. Cook turnips in boiling salted water until very tender. Drain well in colander. Melt butter. Mix milk with cornstarch until smooth; add to butter. Cook mixture over medium heat while stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in turnips, pepper, sugar and parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately. *These are a pleasant surprise!

Chardonnay Carrots

1 pound baby carrots, preferably organic, scrubbed and left whole, tops removed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 handful fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Chardonnay

Preheat the oven to 425°. Tear off a large piece of foil and place inside of a casserole dish, bringing the sides up. Place carrots in the middle of the foil sprinkle with cumin and thyme. Dot with butter and seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Pour wine over all and bring up the sides and fold or scrunch the foil together to seal. Bake for 45 minutes until the carrots are tender. May need to bake longer if the carrots are bigger than baby ones. *Inspired by recipe from Jamie Oliver.

I know everyone has a roasted veggie dish but here is mine:
Vegetable Roast

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes; quartered
3 carrots; sliced 1/2Âinch thick
A sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion; cut into wedges
1/2 pound fresh green bean
6 or 8 cloves garlic (if large, cut in half)
8 ounces mushroom; quartered
1 red bell pepper; chopped large or sliced
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Handful of fresh parsley; chopped

Pre-heat oven to 425°. Place a large baking sheet in the top third of the oven.
Scrub potatoes and cut as desired, rinse well with cold water and dry thoroughly.
In a large bowl combine potatoes, carrots, rosemary, about 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss well to coat evenly with oil. Place mixture on the hot baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining vegetables and garlic and toss with more olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir into potatoes and carrots on baking sheet and continue to roast another 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve topped with grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

Marilyn