h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

*thinks - 9 months, thats 40 weeks.....*

So, parsnips, eh? Mmmm, yummy.

Eek! I'd just been reading the aphodisiac threads. I kind of got lost there for a minute.

Parsnips... Well I never..

The difference between parsnips and turnips is...
...you might actually catch me eating a turnip.

*pipes up in defence of parsnips*
Well, I don't care what you say. I love parsnips - they're so versatile, they can be mashed or roasted and cut into all manner of different shapes for dipping in paint and printing on paper. They rock!

But not actually for eating then? Just cooking or art work.

Puff Pant!
Ah finally caught up with the bus!

I love roasted parsnips. I could eat them till the cows came home, provided it wasn't too far to the nearest byre.

so the verdict is: loath them or hate them. (except for the two brave defenders of the peculiar veg)
I have to admit to never have tasted a parsnip in my entire life. Seems I haven't missed anything, though.
What a luck I brought my own sandwiches.
*opens lunchbox and starts chewing on some virtually self-made avocado rolls*

You /can/ eat them as well. They're yummy but my point was that even if you don't like eating them there are lots of fun things to do with them instead. Try cutting the top off one and placing it in a saucer of water, for example.

Why, what would happen?

It should start to grow - in much the same way as if you cut the top off a carrot. The only difference being the colour.

And I have to say that I'm another parsnip eater. But they do have to be roasted well - fairly slowly so that the natural sugars caramelise properly. Lovely!

And nice choice of entry, BTW.

And I too eat them and enjoy them. My favourite way is sliced and boiled first, then fried with maple syrup. The maple syrup coats the slices and carmelized. Yum! The trick is to pick skinny parsnips - the big fat ones can be woody and bitter.

Jim's article sums up my first experience of Parsnips perfectly.
My dad tried to get us to eat some by roasting them in with the roast potatoes. I love roast potatoes, but ever since the 'Parsnip Incident'
I have been very wary of my first bite into a roast potato.
However, cut up small and boiled in with carrots and potatoes and then mashed in the traditional way, (butter, milk and seasoning), it is really quite nice. Hardly notice them at all. Served of course with such greats as mince, sausages, stew etc. and lots of gravy or 'HP Sauce' http://www.h2g2.com/A329753 (sorry blatant plug)

Anyone else love parsnips? Now that the doubters have had their say there seems to be quite a few people prepared to step forward and declare their love for this versatile vegetable. Long live parsnip lovers!

Babel-17 is that what they call tatties and neeps?

And isn't there a saying about something buttering no parsnips?
I'm feeling quite dizzy with all this swimming round and round. Anyone got something strong to revive me?

I have to say that I can take them or leave them. I don't actively dislike them (in the way that I do, say, mushrooms or celery or cucumber or nuts other than dry-roasted peanuts, or tomatoes in any form other than as god intended: pureed and on top of a pizza), but I tend to find eating them something of a chore.

Actually that makes them pretty unusual I suppose - I usually either love or hate any particular food, so the on-the-fence nature of parsnips makes them unique amongst vegetables. But not in a good way.

Tatties and neeps = potatoes and turnips. If I found anyone serving parsnips with their mince, I'd have them severely dealt with...

Sounds painful!

Indeed Coely Neeps n Tatties are Turnip and Potato, however as I said, adding the parsnips in with the potato when boiling, and then mashing it all together in tha traditional manner is about the only way i will eat them. Actually curried parsnip soup is quite wonderful too. (this goes against the grain here as I do not like parsnips in any other way, form or manner, just the two I have mentioned above)