I love how around this time of the year we see more root vegetables appearing in the stores and markets. Rutabagas, carrots, sweet potatoes and parsnips are among my favorites. All of these can be cooked differently but roasting them produces a whole new flavor, and the oven does all of the work!
If you just can't decide on one kind of veggie, you could try trecipe I made recently. As if the mixture of roasted veggies didn't taste good enough, the maple syrup will really make you take notice. But this time I just wanted to focus on the parsnip. I don't think it gets the recognition it deserves, but you should really try it.
Roasted parsnips also make a really great replacement for mashed potatoes, just cook them the same way you would with the potatoes and load up with the butter, cream, salt and pepper at the end. You can also steam, bake or slice them really thin and fry them to make parsnip chips.
The parsnip is just like the carrot but tastes sweeter and can also be eaten raw. It's ideal for giving flavor and body to stews, soups and casseroles. If you're roasting a hunk of beef, throw in some sliced parsnips around the meat and the gravy will taste amazing. Thanks giving is in a little over three weeks and I challenge you to add parsnips to your menu. Even the price of parsnips are appealing, you should be able to pick up a pound of parsnips for a couple of dollars.