cream of parsnip soup- without any cream

Winter CSAs come with so many parsnips. And while I love a good caramelized, roasted parsnip, there are only so many roasted vegetables I can eat in a week. Thats why I was so excited to find out that parsnips make a great creamy/starchy texture when used as a soup base, much like potatoes.

This recipe is very flexible, and you can substitute about 1/2 the parsnips for turnips, and replace some or all of the parsnips for potatoes, but I love the savory taste the parsnips give.


equipment:

• immersion blender/stick blender
• large soup pot
  

The recipe:

• 3-4 large parsnips, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 cups milk or soy milk
• 1-2 cups vegetable broth or water (if you are using water, you will need 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, and be generous with the other spicing)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tbs dried sage (or 4-6 fresh sage leaves)
• 1 tbs dried dill (or a few sprigs of fresh)
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• olive oil or butter for sauteing

optional:
can add more parsnip for a thicker texture, or some turnip, potato or carrots.
another variant is to put in greens, such as collards, chard, kale, or spinach (fresh or frozen). You can put in a little or as whole huge bunch of greens. I've even put in some frozen peas at points. If you put in the greens, the soup will have the look and texture of a pea soup, as opposed to a cream of potato soup. Both are delicious, just have different tastes and textures.

Directions:

• heat the butter or oil in a large soup pot
• saute the onions in the bottom of the pot until they are soft & translucent.
• add the rosemary and stir
  
• add the parsnips (and other root veggies if you are using them)
• after the parsnips soften a bit and are coated will in the oil
• add the rest of the spices
  
• add the greens and/or peas if you are using them
• add the water or veggie broth so that it covers the veggies (if you are adding greens, it only needs to cover the parsnips- the greens will steam on their own)
• when the parsnips are very soft, turn off the flame and add the milk or soy milk. Add more for a thinner soup, less for a much thicker one.
• use the immersion blender to liquefy the soup.
• return the soup to the flame for a few minutes to let it simmer with the milk.
  
• salt before serving. enjoy!
  

Beets!

My favorite way to eat beats is to roast them.

(dont forget- the green tops are delicious. treat them like any other green).

There are two ways to roast beets:

	Roast first- then chop	Chop first- then roast
What you do:	· Wash the beets well, trim off the ends. (peel, if you want) · Cut the beet into quarters · Wrap in aluminum foil and place in the over at 375˚ F until soft (about an hour) (Note- the oven time is flexible. I try and roast beets while I am cooking something else in the oven)	· Wash the beets well, trim off the ends. (peel, if you want) · Chop the beets into small cubes · Place on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil · Roast in oven at 375˚ F- first 15-20 minutes covered, then 10-20 minutes uncovered. (oven temperature can be up to 400˚ F)
Advantages:	· Its much cleaner- few things are messier than chopping uncooked beets- the juices get everywhere and can stain · Its easier to chop- uncooked beets are very hard, and this method saves you chopping time	· Less cooking time · More slightly crispy/ caramelized edges · You can add flavors while roasting- like citrus, garlic, or herbs · You can roast with other veggies (see below)
Disadvantages:	· Takes longer to cook	· Its much messier- few things are messier than chopping uncooked beets- the juices get everywhere and can stain · Its harder to chop- uncooked beets are very hard, and this method saves you chopping time

what to do with roasted beets:

• serve with goat cheese!
• serve with citrus vinaigrette or honey mustard vinaigrette
• serve in a salad (or in a salad with goat cheese)

Sweet Beet & Veggie Roast

• chop the beets (see above)
• chop parsnip & carrots & red onions
• optional- garlic cloves still in the peel (see below)
  
• place in lasanga pan
• drizzle with olive oil
• roast covered, and then uncovered in a 375˚F oven
  
• veggies are done when they are super tender (time will depend on how many veggies you have, but its usually at leats 40 min)

Savory Beet & Veggie Roast

• chop the beets (see above). but beets are optional.
  
• chop parsnip & carrots & onions & turnips
• add garlic cloves- peeled or unpeeled. see below.
  
• optional- chop a fennel bulb
  
• place in lasanga pan
• drizzle with olive oil
• optional- mix in crushed dried rosemary, dried oregano, dried basil, (any of the above, all of the above, or other herbs of your choice)
• optional- mix in chopped greens (like beet greens, collard, kale, chard, etc). volume of veggies should be around 1/3 volume of whole dish when raw. Maximum 1/2 of dish)
  
• roast covered, and then uncovered in a 375˚F oven
  
• veggies are done when they are super tender (time will depend on how many veggies you have, but its usually at least 40 min)

Note about the garlic:

• you can roast the garlic peeled or unpeeled
• if you peel it, the garlic will better flavor all the other veggies
• if you roast the individual cloves while still in the peel, the cloves will get soft and caramelized, and will pop right out of the peel when fully cooked
• I like both- so I always put in some cloves peeled and some unpeeled.