Lost but not forgotten. Meanwhile Parsnip Crisps!

Dear Tom



Wakey wakey...

Last heard you went off foraging for blackberries, well, picking from your back garden, and haven't been seen since. maybe those brambles were so strong that you got caught up in them, or maybe you tried hacking them down and found a castle underneath sleeping beauty style? Perhaps you decided that you didn't have enough berries and went off in your boat to the river banks after all and have rowed to sunnier climates?

Blackberries are now SO last season, if you see them leave them for the birds! On your to find list are  now  rose hips, haws, and sweet chestnuts instead, and the new 'in' veg is pumpkin, so often just carved and neglected, and generally undervalued. I made lovely toasted pumpkin seeds this week with a dusting of paprika and salt, and a pumpkin cake.


Love this time of year with all the root vegetables coming into season.

Why not try making some parsnip crisps? Or carrot and beetroot ones instead?

Very easy, tasty and healthy too.

Oven on to gas 5, about 180-200'c will do it

Peel your parsnip(s)

Throw away those outside peelings and then use your peeler to slice it up really thinly until there is nothing left to peel, like this...






Grease a baking tray, pop your peeled parsnip pieces on, lightly and bung it into the oven for about 15-20 minutes






Turn them occasionally, but gently because they will get a bit fragile before getting crisp. You may also have to take a few off and return the rest to the oven. For some reason, known only to themselves, the refuse to cook evenly!!

When they are golden and crunchy they are ready to munch so take them out and sprinkle lightly with salt and enjoy. You could try a slight coating of a mild chilli powder or a winter spice like ginger.

Use the above method for carrots, beetroot and potatoes. In fact, if you buy organic potatoes, wash before peeling for your usual meals and cook the peelings at the same time as your supper is on,  no waste :)




Anyway, all excuses accepted, the more inventive the better

Yours, your ever optimistic friend

Ruth

8 comments:

  1. Nice to see a new post ruth. What is Tom doing for Christmas this year?

    ReplyDelete
  2. No wonder your boys love this! Will look out for parsnips real soon xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have just tried this with carrots (I didn't have any parsnips in) and they are lovely!!! My daughter, who is 16 and hates carrots, loved them and said that this would be the only way she would eat carrots! Thank you, I will put parsnips on my shopping list and try them out next week :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ruth, you've hauled me back into the kitchen!

    Hi Mandy - this year I'm handing the baton back to the parents, reluctantly. I may ask to do something on Boxing day though, with the left overs. But I enjoyed it so much last year I need to find a new occasion to cook for, or at least a new excuse for Ruth to teach me some more skills!


    ReplyDelete
  5. Passed the baton back to the parents - yeah right!!!! I really think you should do something with the left overs - Turkey and Ham pie would be good with your pastry skills! And get Ruth to show you how to do something posh with potatoes, like Duchess or Dauphinoise......so lets pass the baton back to Ruth......teehee. xxx(For Ruth)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Mandy, maybe i shall pass the baton on to you, like a virtual game of tag :) Dauphinoise potatoes are fab, especially with some celeriac ,mixed in, yum

    Ruth

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Ruth

    I like this food and all, but can you shar it with the Peple of the Motherland?

    Thanks, Josef Stalin

    ReplyDelete