Worldwide Cookbooks

The Consumer Viewpoint

SIMPLE ITALIAN COOKERY

American Woman's Home

Art of Living in Australia

Cooking Eggs

Elegant Art of Dining

Guide to Marketing and Cooking

Italian Recipes

Meal Preparation

School and Home Cooking

Physiology of Taste

Tried and True Recipes

Library of Cookery

Hans Christian Andersen . American Fairy Tales . Grimm's Fairy Tales

Aesop's Fables - Tales with Morals . Mother Goose . Mother Goose in Prose

PARSNIPS AND THEIR PREPARATION

53. Parsnips are an important root vegetable, being closely allied to
carrots. They are used to a certain extent during the summer when they
are immature, but generally they are allowed to mature so that they may
be stored for use as a winter vegetable. Parsnips have an advantage over
many vegetables in that they have excellent keeping qualities and are
particularly hardy, being able to withstand considerable freezing and
thawing when they are left in the ground during the winter. However, as
they grow older, they develop a woody texture, as do beets and turnips,
and so at the end of the winter require longer cooking than at the
beginning.

54. In food value, parsnips are somewhat higher than other root
vegetables, containing a large amount of carbohydrate, which occurs in
the form of sugar. Although they are wholesome and nourishing, they have
a peculiar, sweetish flavor that is due to the volatile oil they contain
and is objectionable to some persons. Still, those who are fond of this
flavor find that parsnips afford an excellent opportunity to give
variety to the diet, for they may be prepared in a number of ways, most
of which are similar to the ways in which carrots are cooked.

55. In preparing parsnips for cooking, scrape them, if possible, instead
of peeling them, so as not to waste any of the edible material. Then,
too, try to obtain medium-sized parsnips, for they will be of much
better quality than the larger ones. If uneven sizes must be used, the
larger ones should be cut before being cooked, so that they will be
similar in size to the smaller ones and therefore cook in the same
length of time.

56. MASHED PARSNIPS.--A very simple way in which to prepare parsnips is
to mash them. Clean and scrape the desired number of parsnips and put
them to cook in sufficient boiling salted water to cover. Cook until
tender enough to be pierced with a fork, the length of time required to
do this depending entirely on the age of the parsnips. When tender,
drain off the water and force the parsnips through a colander or a
sieve. Season with butter, salt, and pepper, and serve hot.

57. CREAMED PARSNIPS.--Parsnips are sometimes cut into dice and then
served with a cream, sauce. When it is desired to prepare them in this
way, the accompanying directions should be carefully followed.

CREAMED PARSNIPS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)

2 c. diced parsnips
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
1 c. milk

Clean and scrape the parsnips and cut them into dice 1/2 inch in size.
Put these to cook in sufficient boiling salted water to cover, cook
until they may be easily pierced with a fork, and then drain. Melt the
butter in a double boiler, and add the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir in
the hot milk, and cook until the mixture thickens. Pour this sauce over
the parsnips, heat together for a few minutes, and serve.

58. BROWNED PARSNIPS.--Parsnips that are browned and sweetened with
sugar seem to meet with greater favor than those prepared by other
methods. To prepare them in this way, clean and scrape the desired
number of parsnips, and slice them in thick slices, or, if they are
small, cut them in halves lengthwise. Put them to cook in boiling salted
water and cook until they may be easily pierced with a fork, but are not
tender enough to fall to pieces. Melt some fat in a frying pan, and
place the slices of cooked parsnips in it. Brown on one side, turn, and
then brown on the other. Sprinkle with a little sugar and, if necessary,
additional salt. Serve.