Beetroot and Parsnips

Hi everyone,

Like all root vegetables, this week’s Beetroot and Parsnips are beautful roasted. Last night I had them together topped with a scattering of Parsley, a warm Cous Cous salad with toasted Pumpkin seeds and baked Goat’s Cheese. It’s a combination that’s easy to prepare and always goes down a storm.

I think the best way to go is to  boil the vegetables first (separately or everything will go pink and it is nice to have the 2 colours) so the roasting doesn’t take too long. This way, once the veg is in the oven you’ll have enough time to do the Cous Cous, slice the Goat’s Cheese and of course have at least one glass of wine.

Balsamic Roasted Beetroot and Parsnips (for 2)

You’ll need:

600gr Parsnips (about what you have in this week’s bag)

600gr Beetroot (about what you have in this week’s bag)

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Honey

Start with your Beetroot as they’ll take the longest. Wash but don’t peel them or all their lovely colour will leech out. Cover in water and bring to the boil then simmer til done (ie until you can stick a knife through them). This will take anything from 40 minutes to an hour for really big bulbs. When they’re ready take them off the heat, drain and allow to cool slightly. Peel and cut each Beetroot into quarters or eighths depending on the size.

While the Beetroot are cooking you can get on with the Parsnips. Wash, peel and cut into chunks or lengths. Boil in salted water until tender (this should take about 15 minutes).

When the vegetables are ready, heat your oven to Gas mark 6 or 200 degrees and warm some Olive Oil on a non stick baking tray. When the Oil is hot add your vegetables and a drizzle of Honey.  Toss well then put in the oven. After about 20 minutes toss everything  to make sure the veg cooks evenly. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes, toss again then add a dash of Balsamic Vinegar and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until everything has carmelized nicely. Season with Salt and Pepper and serve.

The Cous  Cous and baked Goat’s Cheese

You’ll need:

Cous Cous

Pumpkin Seeds

Lemon Juice

Olive Oil

2 rounds Chevre Goat’s Cheese about 1 inch thick

Prepare enough Cous Cous for 2 and dress with some nice Olive Oil and Lemon juice. Toast some Pumpkin seeds on a dry pan and throw in. The baked Goat’s Cheese is simple. Just  bake the rounds on a tray for about 10 minutes so when you think the veg is starting to caramelize is a good time to throw them in the oven. If you want to make things really special marinate them in Oil with some Rosemary and Thyme a la Alice Waters. This can be done the day before and is fab.

In case you were wondering……..

The leaves in your bag are Pak Choy and they should be steamed or stirfried

We still have Quinces and I’ll be posting that lovely Moroccan Quince and Chicken Tagine recipe on the blog for all of you who’ve asked for it.

Hope you enjoy the recipes,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah

Parsnips

Hi everyone,

This week’s bags all have the first of this season’s Parsnips which for me always mean autumn. A member of the Carrot family, they are sweet with a lovely earthiness and work really well with Butter, Garlic, Parsley, Potatoes, Honey, Curry, Cinnamon and Nutmeg. They can be boiled, pureed, mashed and deep-fried but I think roasting really brings up their lovely flavour.

Roasted Parsnips

Peel and cut them into even-sized chunks then heat some Olive Oil in a roasting tin then toss the Parsnips in and roast for about 45 minutes.

For a quick warming supper that you can put together in minutes this week’s soup recipe is just the thing……….

Moroccan Style Soup with Parsnips, Chickpeas and Harissa served with Garlic Scented toasted Breadcrumbs

You’ll need:

1 Medium Onion

Olive Oil

2 Medium Carrots

2 Medium Parsnips

2 Bay leaves

5 Cloves Garlic

1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds

2L Vegetables (Marigold as always unless you make your own)

1 Tin Chickpeas

Harrissa – this is a thick spicy Moroccan paste you get in Middle Eastern shops and good delis but if you can’t get hold of it just use Chili.

Begin by chopping the Onion then throw it into a pot with a generous dash of Olive Oil. Sauté over a lowish heat and get on with dicing the Carrots and Parsnips. Throw these into the pot along with the Bay Leaves. Add a little more Olive Oil if you think things might burn and cook for about 5 minutes then add the  Garlic (chopped) and 1 Teaspoon of Cumin Seeds. Cook everything for another 5 minutes stirring well to make sure nothing burns. Add stock, the tin of Chickpeas (rinsed and drained), 2 Teaspoons of Harissa Paste and 1 Teaspoon Salt. Bring to the boil then cover and cook over a low heat for 30 minutes then serve with plenty of crusty bread.

 

Just before you serve prepare the garlic breadcrumbs – fry a clove of Garlic in some Olive Oil over a low heat for a couple of minutes, remove the Garlic and add a handful of Breadcrumbs and toast until golden brown over a low heat. Sprinkle on top of the soup and serve

 

Variations: Most veg works in this kind of soup, those of you with Mediterranean selections this week could throw in some diced Red Pepper and fresh or tinned Tomatoes would be great as well. Some fresh Parsley or Coriander would be lovely on top too.

 

If like us you’re celebrating the election results try my recipe for Parsnip Rosti topped with Mushrooms in Cider Cream which is on this blog (go to the bottom and search for Rosti or Parsnips to find it). It’s very special and really quite easy to put together. 

 

Market Watch

Cooking Apples are now in season as are Quinces both of which make fantastic crumbles. I’ll have them next week so just let us know if you’d like some.

 

Hope you enjoy the recipe,

Have a great weekend,

Sarah