Parsnip Update

Last week I described how mashed parsnips made a great substitute for mashed potatoes (here).  In fact, I think mashed parsnips are better than mashed potatoes, but, as they say, de gustibus non est disputandum (*).  

So imagine my surprise when I get my holiday copy of Food and Wine Magazine today and they have a recipe for mashed parsnips!!!  Theirs differs from mine in a couple of respects.  First, they use four cups of whole milk and an entire stick of butter.  To me, part of the point of using parsnips is that they have a strong enough taste that you only need a little butter and you may not need any milk (or if you do, just a little bit to add smoothness).  When I’m eating a side dish, I want to taste the vegetable, not milk and butter.

The other difference I will have to try.  They garnish their mashed parsnips with brussels sprouts leaves, where I offered a recipe with fried parsnip peels.  The brussels sprouts leaves sounds like a pretty good idea and I’ll have to check it out, but I know I’m going to keep coming back to the fried parsnip peels.

At any rate, all I can say today is that I beat Food and Wine Magazine at promoting mashed parsnips as a holiday side dish.

(*) Latin for “matters of taste cannot be disputed.”  My father used to say that a lot.