Parsnips

There is so much to write about that I am falling behind. But parsnips are surely a priority posting.

I have lived all my life without ever having eaten a parsnip. This is the sort of thing that fills one with a panic at the thought of dying without ever having tasted the world's most delicious fruit...out there somewhere, like a Holy Grille.

In any case, I like parsnips, which look like a blanched carrot. In fact the are a blanched carrot. Parsnips are aromatic and their taste is a cross between a carrot and a plantain banana. It follows that they are both boiled and fried. The simplest way to cook a parsnip is as follows.

1. Julienne it in quarters -- i.e. cut it length-wise in half and in half a gain.

2. Blanch the strips in very hot or boiling water. (The real purpose of this is to soften them up a bit so they lie flat when frying).

3. Fry the strips in olive oil with garlic cloves to taste. You want to brown them lightly, so you have to pay attention that they don't scorch. They cook quickly.

4. Serve.

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