“Spring-dug parsnips are a miracle,” Hill said.įrancine serves spring parsnips poached in duck fat - an earthy foil for the sweet roots. The zing and bite of the lemon zest and ginger, with aromatic thyme, balanced A second puree of fingerling potatoes rounded out the plate. Hill then pureed them and served the puree on the side of a platter of lobster meat bathed in a broth of a tiny dice of butternut squash, minced shallots, Vermouth, and Meyer lemon juice. If it’s May, June, or July and a northern farmer grew them, chances are the deep-frozen and thawed sweet things are in your basket.įooling Parsnips: Eliot Coleman suggests keeping fall-harvested parsnips at 95% humidity and 32 degrees F (0 degrees Celsius) for two weeks in storage to attain “a sweetness close to that of those left over the winter in the field.”Ī little butter, a teaspoon of fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger were stirred into the hot parsnips (salt to Some may still be available at specialty markets. Recipe Note: Any parsnips will work in the puree and the pan fry spring-dug roots will taste superb and cook more quickly. A fragrant steam permeated the room as they simmered over low heat until all the water was gone and the roots were lightly caramelized in their own juices. Hill diced the parsnips (about 3 cups) and tossed them in a saucepan with water to cover and no lid. I hadn't cooked them for years and was reminded how satisfying these roots are. It was a blooming Maine spring, after a long Maine winter, and spring-dug parsnips were on the menu. Our job was to absorb - and eat - everything. The chef and an assistant prepared a meal, pausing to demonstrate and explain. About 12 participants settled on stools around the T-shaped extended counter in the kitchen classroom upstairs. Parsnip Puree with Fresh-Grated Ginger and Lemon ZestĪ few years ago, I attended a cooking class at Rockport’s Market Basket, taught by Hill. Parson’s parsnips, from Fresh off the Farm, are a favorite of Hill’s. His was among the first restaurants in Maine to actively seek out locally grown foods and give them a prominent place on the menu, going to the producers rather than a national wholesaler whenever possible.īy cultivating relationships with individual farmers and frequenting local farmer’s markets and retail businesses such as FOTF, Hill has built up reliable sources of midcoast ingredients for the simple but often exquisite seasonal dishes served at Francine - a cooking style I call roots gourmet, in both senses of the word. Contact the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association at for info on parsnip seed, or search online.Įliot Coleman, in his book The New Organic Grower, noted that a parsnip crop provides an income at a time when there is little else for northern farmers to market.īrian Hill, chef-owner of Francine in Camden, shops at Fresh Off the Farm, conveniently located a quick drive from his kitchen down coastal Route One. Think of spring-dug parsnips as a reward - unique to the north - for shoveling through multiple winter snowstorms.įor advice on parsnip cultivation, see Damrosch’s and Coleman’s books. Gardeners in the south and southwest are advised to start parsnips in the fall as a winter crop, but the roots won’t be as sweet. Parsons plants the open-pollinated varieties “Harris Model” and “Hollow Crown” (the latter matures faster) with no chemicals: “strictly manure and wood ashes.” Aged or composted organic matter is better than fresh, for parsnips.įor kitchen gardeners, soaking the seeds overnight in warm water jump-starts germination. Too much growth before digging allows the root to feed the foliage instead of the cook it becomes bitter, woody, and stringy. They store well in an unsealed plastic bag in the vegetable bin. Spring parsnips are dug when they begin to sprout leaves, then refrigerated. Cooked, it becomes succulent, sweet, and nutty, with a spicy note. Raw, the spring-thawed root recalls fennel but is too chewy for most. With the deep freeze, starches in this tawny root convert to sugars, the flavor matures and mellows, and the flesh – with more fiber and less juice than a carrot - is tenderized. “Patience with parsnips pays off,” writes Barbara Damrosch of Cape Rosier, in her book The Garden Primer. ![]() He’s been watching them for 20 years at his farm in Union.Īn old Maine homestead standby, parsnips are a truly slow food: slow to germinate, slow to grow more savory if harvested late in the fall, after a few frosts.īut parsnips are at their best mulched well, left in the garden all winter, and dug in late spring. Photo: Susannah GageMilton Parsons told me he likes to watch parsnips grow.
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