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.

i have an affinity for side dishes

i went to a great restaurant with friends last year,
and there, on the hand-written blackboard, i saw my dream meal.
20 vegetable side dishes. pick four. there's your dinner:
artichokes hearts with parmesan
roasted grape tomatoes with garlic
beets with goat cheese
mixed mushrooms with leeks and herbs

i was in heaven.
and i've thought about recreating this dish
or one like it
for many meals since.

there's just one problem.
a very agreeable, thankfully adventurous, rarely complaining problem:
i have a husband.
one who, puts up with tofu, my love for lime juice and avocado and a recent obsession with
seaweed. who brings me to restaurants that specialize in vegetables and who actually finds it
amusing when i spend an afternoon experimenting with different sweet potato sandwich recipes.
but, one, who really, really, really just wants
a steak.

so every time i feel myself sliding toward a side dish supper,
i stop somewhere short of making a plate that looks like
i just ransacked the farmer's market. and instead, try to make
it look like a meal. sort of.

which brings me to last week.
i had my heart set on roasted parsnips
but then i remembered the purple potatoes and the onion
sitting not-so-patiently on the counter.
in the grocery store
i stared at the seafood counter,
the chicken and the turkey
before remembering
i had a carton of eggs in the fridge.

i like to separate the vegetables, just in case one cooks faster than the other. it's an easy way to avoid burning your onion and serving crunchy potatoes. once cooked, you can mix together, or keep the cobb effect.

i'm telling you, when faced with a lot of veggies and no plan,
roast 'em,
poach an egg,
toss it on top
and call it dinner.


this time i used parsnips (they are so sweet and delicious, when you let them brown for a while), a sweet onion, purple potatoes and cremini mushrooms. but, the options are endless: a bowl of garlicky swiss chard, grilled asparagus, sauteed tomatoes, just to name a few. it couldn't be simpler, you just cut them all up into somewhat similar-sized pieces (obviously, i don't care if they look identical, but it is important for them to be the same size so that they cook evenly), put them on a roasting pan with a drizzle of olive oil, some kosher salt and pepper. and then wait for them to shrink, brown and sweeten. use the last ten minutes of the roasting time to poach the eggs. i sprinkled the finished plate with chopped chives and a few drops of admittedly-decadent truffle oil -- both completely up to you.

ok, i'll admit it. i forgot about these at first. but it worked out well - they cook much faster than the others. while, i think the other vegetables are fine with cooking spray, mushrooms need a little flavor coaxing from olive oil.

and please, don't be scared to poach an egg.
believe me, i understand. there's boiling water,
in a shallow saucepan,
and timing
and the whole thing seems so freaking delicate. but it's easy.
and it's by far, my favorite way to prepare and enjoy an egg.


Roasted Root Vegetables
4-6 parsnips, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into thirds
1 sweet onion, peeled, halved and sliced
1 pkg. (8 oz.) purple peruvian fingerling potatoes, brushed and quartered
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cremini mushrooms, rubbed clean with a paper towel and sliced
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
olive oil
kosher salt
cracked black pepper

Heat oven to 400˚F. Coat foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray or a thin coating of olive oil. Place parsnips on left side (or whatever placement makes sense to you). Drizzle with oil or spray; sprinkle with salt and a few cracks of black pepper; toss with your (clean) hands. Repeat with onions and potatoes. Sprinkle garlic cloves on baking sheet. Repeat with mushrooms on a separate foil-lined baking sheet. Roast 20-30 min., or until vegetables are golden brown and tender, turning once or twice. Toss together; divide mixture among two plates. Gently place poached egg over vegetables. Sprinkle egg with chopped fresh chives and add a few drops of white truffle oil, if desired.


Poached Eggs
2 large eggs
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt

Crack each egg into separate extra-small bowls. In medium saucepan, heat 2" water over high heat until just starting to bubble. Stir in vinegar and salt -- they both help the egg set faster and prohibit the white from fraying and spreading. Wait until the water bubbles again, then gently dip the rims of the bowls into the water and let the egg slip out; lower the heat to about medium. As soon as the egg starts to set, slip a spatula underneath to loosen from the bottom of the saucepan. Next, very gently flip the egg. Let cook about 2 min., more, or until the white is reasonably firm and the yolk is still runny (it will appear slightly wobbly if you give the egg a small shake). Using spatula or slotted spoon, remove the egg from pan and let the water drip off; blot with paper towel, if desired. Using scissors, cut frayed edges.*

*I never do this, but if you want a prettier presentation, this is how they make it happen in restaurants.