roasted parsnip fries

i love fries that are

super crisp on the outside

and meltingly tender

inside. i also love

fries that are just

really, really crisp.

these fries?

well, they're

neither.

it's just a fact - parsnips,

like sweet potatoes,

never fully reach

their crunch potential.

but, they do taste delicious.

and, if you opt to call them

something different,

like say,

roasted parsnips,

no one will ever complain

about the texture.

they'll be too busy realizing

they've spent way too long

ignoring parsnips.

at least,

that was what happened with me.

i blame it on carrots.

and turnips.

i've told you before that i'm

not crazy about carrots. and once,

a while ago, i had my first turnip

and instantly knew that i did not

care for it. so parsnips,

which look like white carrots

and are often lumped in with

turnips in everyday conversations,

were quickly swept into the

no, thank you pile.

then, a couple years ago,

i was served a parsnip, roasted,

and i could not believe what

i was tasting: earthy, sweet,

deep-flavored and truly tender

vegetables that were hard to forget.

i've made them many times

since, very simply tossed

with olive oil and roasted.

and to be honest,

this side dish didn't really

seem like one worth

telling you about.

doesn't everyone toss their

veggies with oil

and roast them

these days?

but the last time i went to

make them - feeling funny

because it's spring and i should

be talking about

peas,

artichokes,

rhubarb

and asparagus - larry asked

why i haven't blogged about these

tender veggies.

and he's right.

they're often the right answer to

a very popular question in my house:

what should i serve this with?

once they're peeled and trimmed,

they're very quick to toss together:

just a little vinegar,

a little olive oil,

some cayenne, salt and pepper.

and, when they come out of the oven

sweet and golden,

they're just waiting to be eaten

a little improperly with fingers,

not forks and knives.

so i took some pictures -

some very, very white,

bland pictures that the

magazine i used to work

for would never approve of -

and made myself measure

out ingredients. and when

they were done, they were

yummy.

not crisp, not crunchy,

but yummy.

and if you can rationalize,

as i can, that spring

vegetables are just (just) starting

to show their green selves in

the markets. and today, at least,

it's freezing outside - much more a day

for roasted root veggies that

are admittedly a little bit autumn,

than for grilled fava beans,

which usually belong smack in

the middle of april,

i hope you'll be able to enjoy them

as much as we do.

roasted parsnip fries

here's the deal with parsnips: smaller ones can be cut and quartered. larger ones, which yield a larger quantity of sticks (usually eight), need to be slightly cored. it's your call - here, i used five medium-large parsnips. and, one more thing, using two baking pans will increase your chances of getting even a little bit of crispness out of some of your parsnips. when you force all pieces to share one baking sheet, they're too close together, causing them to steam, not roast.

5 medium-large parsnips, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

cayenne pepper

salt

pepper

heat oven to 425˚f.

quarter one parsnip; cut cores out of centers. halve each piece lengthwise. you should have 8 parsnip fries. repeat with remaining parsnips.

in bowl, toss together parsnips, vinegar, olive oil, 2-3 pinches cayenne pepper and a few very healthy pinches salt and pepper. arrange parsnips in single on two parchment paper or aluminum foil-lined baking sheets, separating to make sure there is space around each parsnip.

roast 12 minutes; flip parsnips. sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle with olive oil, if desired. roast 12-14 minutes more, or until golden brown and tender. (i usually start looking in the oven after about 10 minutes.