Parsnips

Next time you’re fervently wishing a frosty morning would hurry up and melt, perhaps remember that without it parsnips wouldn’t be anywhere near as sweet (indeed they were used instead of cane sugar before it was brought to Europe). 

These pale roots could be mistaken for anaemic carrots, but whilst every vegetable is remarkable to us, their limited season and distinct, aromatic flavour means they have a special place in our hearts, and not just at Christmas dinner. 

Put an afternoon aside to make parsnip gnocchi by replacing some of the potato in a standard recipe, and then frying them up with walnuts and thyme- perhaps serving with a blue cheese sauce? In fact, any potato based dish can be perked up with a bit of a parsnip- think rostis and mash and you don’t need a deep-fryer for parsnips crisps!

Otherwise, piping hot parsnip soup will having you dreaming about lunch before breakfast’s been and gone (don’t forget the nutmeg) and as they go astonishingly well with other spices like cumin and ginger as well as with ingredients like sesame oil and maple syrup, they’re one of the vegetables that present endless possibilities, from cake to curry (not something you can say about leeks). Apparently in Italy ‘snips are generally fed to pigs- now, we don’t want to interfere in a formidable culinary tradition but surely they don’t know what they’re missing?