When I first started this website, one of the goals I had in mind was helping people get excited about trying new vegetables. Especially seasonal & local ones if possible. This year I’m going to introduce a new segment called “Vegetable of the Month” AKA VOTM. We may have missed January, but February is a great time to start I think.

I often post about Community Supported Agriculture and frankly I’m extremely fortunate to live in San Francisco where we the most amazing range of fresh produce all year round. I’ve joined a new CSA for 2008 but it doesn’t officially begin until March. As I wait – impatiently – I purchase their Mystery Boxes every other week to tide me over. To this day opening a box full of fresh vegetables grown nearby delights me! What will be in the box? What is in season? What new item will appear that I haven’t seen in its true form since a year ago? Those are some of the elements of opening a vegetable gift box each week that I love!

To get back on topic though, in my recent mystery boxes I have had some of the most lovely parsnips. Parsnips are very closely related to carrots and in many cases can sub in for each other in a time of need. The taste can be very similar to a carrot, but may be a bit stronger and in some cases a touch sweeter. They have a slightly yellowed appearance until you peel them when they are bright white (as shown in the photo). You can also see in the photos that parsnips are bit more wild than the carrot – having extra root pieces appearing wherever they desire. These are edible and just different looking, nothing to fear!

The sad parsnip fact is that often the ones I find in grocery stores wilt away to a soggy lump within a day of purchasing. Or when I cut into them I find a woody center which has to be tediously removed to ensure it won’t interfere with the sweet, soft flavor of the parsnip. The parsnips I’ve received fresh in my Mystery Box though suffer none of these unfortunate qualities. They are crisp and bright, having a lovely sturdiness to the root that doesn’t slump over at a sideways glance. And they are tasty!

While parsnips can be used in any number of dishes where they are starring role, they combine with most any other winter root veggies the utmost aplomb! And that is the dish I would like to feature today. Full of vegetables that are in season and perfect for these chillier final days of winter, the parsnip lends its swee, heartiness to the other vegetables to combine into a most perfect roasted vegetable melange.

To prepare a parsnip, just peel off the skin after washing. Often times the extra root pieces will come off on their own during the peeling. If it is large enough to use, feel free to peel that piece then add it back into the mix. Cut into the size and shape you desire and you are set. Its a very approachable and easy to use veggie, so have no parsnip-phobia please!

Winter Roasted Vegetables: I was lucky enough to have some unusual vegetables to add to this dish, but don’t hesitate if you only have “normal” carrots, they will look and taste beautiful in this dish! Roasting winter roots is a perfect way to use what you have without concern – their flavors are very melodious and tend to accentuate each other perfectly!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 large celery root, peeled and cubed
• 1 bunch of baby carrots, washed or lightly peeled but left whole
• 3-4 purple carrots, peeled and cut into rounds (feel free to use any color of carrot you have!)
• 1-2 fennel bulbs (depending on their size), cut into chunks
• 3-4 sticks of fresh thyme (or rosemary)

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. While chopping the vegetables, try to keep them in similar sizes and shapes. This will help them cook evenly.
3. Place all the veggies on a large baking sheet or roasting pan. Drizzle with clarified butter (or olive oil), salt and pepper. Add the leaves of a few sticks of rosemary or thyme if you have them. Mix well to coat the veggies evenly.
4. Roast the oven at 400 for about 40 minutes. Stir occasionally, about every 10-15 minutes. Depending on the size you cut the veggies into, they may take more or less time. When they are finished all the veggies will have a nice softness to them but not be mushy. They should still retain the basic shape you cut them into but also take on a nice deep toasty color.
5. Serve hot and enjoy!

Note: the baby carrots used in this dish are truly babies, not the cut up versions you can find in a grocery. Those are actually just the carrots with a less desirable shape, machine processed to become “regular” in size and form. More agreeable to American. Bunches of teensy carrots are a delicacy to enjoy if you are lucky enough to spot them.

2nd Note: Clarified butter is real accent to these vegetables. If you prefer to use olive oil they will still be tasty and delicious. However if you take the 5 minutes to place a stick of butter in a pan over low heat, let the solids rise to the top then promptly remove from the heat when it has fully melted, keeping only the liquid (no solids) and storing for a month or so in the fridge, you will be well rewarded.