Parsnips Potatoes and Ginger Recipe Side Dish

I do realize that I am digressing from the theme of strictly New Mexican foods here lately. I do this because of all of the lovely autumn vegetables that are arriving daily at the vegetable and fruit market. However, these vegetables are served in New Mexican homes. Root vegetables are eaten in Mexico too.

So, this is not too much of a digression!

This ginger parsnip and potato recipe is one that I adapted from my mom’s recipe. She loved parsnips. She took the cooked parsnip for a spin around her cast iron skillet with a bit of Maple syrup and butter. This enhanced the parsnip flavor and made me a believer that parsnips did taste good!

The humble parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a root vegetable closely related to the carrot. Indeed, carrots come in more colors than the orange we are use to seeing in the grocery store.

The parsnip’s taste hints of more exotic flavors (for a vegetable) like butterscotch, honey, and cardamom. So, it doesn't take much nudging from our spice selection and cooking imaginations to showcase the humble parsnip.

The parsnip may be eaten raw, boiled, steamed, and baked. It is a lovely addition cooked with a pork roast as well as a beef roast. Many soups acquire a deep complex flavor with the addition of parsnips. Parsnips are best harvested and eaten after a frost. The frost brings out the sweetness of the parsnips.

I find the fact that parsnips are best eaten after a frost interesting since all notations on the parsnip says it originated from the Mediterranean region and the Roman Empire took the parsnip to other areas of Europe. There isn't much frost in Italy!

When buying a parsnip look for a firm white parsnip. It should not be spongy. The parsnip should not be bendable! Do not buy one that has been coated in wax. The wax is a preservation method only. The wax needs paring off and this removes much of the skin. The skin has lots of taste and I do not like peeled parsnips as much as just scrubbed parsnips. Many vitamins and minerals are in the peel too.

The sweetener I used is the Organic Blue Agave, a product of Mexico, that is currently widely sold in the USA.. The sweetener is a low Glycemic sweetener that is slowly absorbed into the body which prevents blood sugar spikes. Organic Blue Agave is also 25% sweeter than sugar, so if you substitute sugar you will need more sugar than the Organic Blue Agave that I show in the recipe.

Here is a recipe that celebrates the unique qualities of parsnips and pairs them with the healthy potato.

Ginger Parsnips & Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients for Parsnips and Potatoes Recipe

3 large un-waxed parsnips

1 large potato

1 T. of candied ginger (more if you prefer)

2 T. Organic Blue Agave sweetener (may use syrup or brown sugar here, remember the Organic Blue Agave is 25% sweeter than sugar)

Preparation for Parsnips and Potatoes Recipe

Scrup with water and remove the tops of the parsnips, pare off any ‘bad’ spots

Scrub with water the potato and pare off any ‘bad spots’

Leave the skins on both the parsnip and potato

Thin slice the parsnips and potatoes

Steam them until they may be pierced by a fork but not mushy!

While the parsnips and potatoes are steaming

Saute the chopped ginger, butter, and Agave sweetener together

Turn off stove top heat and let the mixture rest, as this creates a ginger and Agave flavored butter.

Drain the parsnips and potatoes and toss with the ginger/Agave butter.

Salt and pepper to taste

I serve this the first night as the starchy side dish.

If there are leftovers I use them in soups. They may also be frozen for later use in soups and that includes bean soup as well as minestrone and vegetable soups!