This versatile vegetable with a sweet, buttery, slightly spicy flavour when cooked, is rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium and can be boiled, roasted, used in soups and casseroles, you can even slice them thinly and fry them to make parsnip crisps.
Parsnips were cultivated and eaten in early times and most of the information on this root vegetable comes from Greek and Roman sources. The Romans even believed that was an Aphrodisiac.
The economical recipe below comes from a Second World War Ministry of Food leaflet and can be used as a starter before a main meal or as a light warming meal on its own.
Ingredients
2 pints of water (you can add a vegetable cube to make a stock if you wish).
1½ lbs of parsnips, cleaned, peeled and shredded
2 oz of chopped leek or onions
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of flour
4 tablespoons of milk
2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped parsley
Method
Place water or stock in pan and bring to the boil
Add shredded parsnip, chopped leek, or onion, plus seasoning and boil for 20 minutes
Mix flour to a paste with cold water and add to soup, stirring to prevent lumps
