Growing Parsnips
Each year we try to mix things up in the garden and try something new, and this year it was parsnip. We selected the parsnip because if you have ever shopped for parsnip, it is next to never on sale and of all the root vegetables it has to be one of the more expensive ones. (No, it’s not a white carrot.)
These things take for-ev-er to grow! Ideally we should have started our seeds indoors and then transplanted them into the garden, since the seeds I bought was from a less well-known supplier. (I did not have good luck with spinach seeds I got from them either.) The recommended growing technique is throw down quick growing carrot or radish seeds with the parsnip. We’re all like “pphhht, let’s just see what happens approach.” I will tell you what happens, you stare at a blank patch of soil for almost a month trying to sort out what is a weed and what is a baby parsnip. (It’s just easier to let the weeds do the growing for awhile, then clear them out once you found the parsnip leaves by process of elimination.)
For future reference, here’s what parsnip leaves look like. It kind of looks like giant parsley leaves each attached to a thick stalk.
We decided to pull all the parsnip out of the garden this past weekend because I was sure they were on the next to eat list by our lovely garden varmints, and more importantly we need to get the ground ready to plant garlic. If we had the space, we would have left these in the ground a bit longer since they taste better the longer they’re in the ground. I think we will try parsnips again next year, since we at least recouped the cost of the seed packet.
Dave made a nice soup with the fresh parsnip. It tasted very much like French Onion soup with a bunch of vegetables thrown in. The kids even enjoyed it – for dinner twice!
- Caramelize some diced onions
- Add some Marsala wine, let it reduce/cook down a bit.
- Add a bit of thyme, 1 box of vegetable broth, and diced vegetables (carrot, parsnip, potato).
- Simmer for 30 minutes, enjoy!
Welcome to soup season!
