I don't know much butter know I love you

Winter is a difficult time of year to get excited about, not least in the cooking department. After months of cooking root veg, who can blame you if your greatest culinary desire is the quick fix of a salad. Root vegetables (the humble carrot aside) are not really known for their speed of delivery. Its a strange man who enjoys chomping on some raw turnip.

They are also sometimes pretty time consuming to prepare. Whilst The Seasonal Beets thoroughly recommend keeping skins on where possible (for we all know that's where the best nutrition is stored) there are times when that is just not possible. My dog loves turnip skin: I am less enamoured by its woody texture.

On top of that whilst root vegetables are filled with nutrition and can be sweet as sugar, the stereotypical varieties we can easily access do lack a certain variation in flavour (yes bothersome friend turnip I'm referring to you again).

And yet root vegetables are cheap, nutritious and very seasonal so we should definitely be eating them in plentiful supply. How can we fix this tricky conundrum? The answer my friends is butter.

"Is there anything better than butter? Think it over, any time you taste something that's delicious beyond imagining and you say 'what's in this?' the answer is always going to be butter. The day there is a meteorite rushing toward Earth and we have thirty days to live, I am going to spend it eating butter. Here is my final word on the subject, you can never have too much butter." Julie Powell, Julie and Julia.

Whilst butter alone is wonderful, its magical taste enhancing capabilities can be heightened by the addition of a few key ingredients. Flavoured butter should be a staple in any tasty kitchen. It can be added to baked potatoes; mashed vegetables, boiled vegetables, oven roasted vegetables, fry your vegetables in it or just spread on a piece of crusty toast. The possibilities are for flavoured butter are endless and its so easy to make.

• Take 1 packet of unsalted butter and leave it out of the fridge to soften.
• Then get out the biceps and your spatula and start beating the butter until it becomes soft and pliable (or use a foodmixer...).
• Add your ingredients and whip into a frenzy until all incorporated.
• Leave to stand for 30 minutes and then place it in the fridge to harden.
• Once hard roll into a sausage shape and wrap in baking parchment (like a christmas cracker)
• This can then be stored in the freezer. Just cut away what you need when you need it.

Recipes for flavoured butter

Roasted Garlic Butter (excellent in mash)

1 packet of butter

1 large head of garlic

1/4 tsp salt

Cut the garlic in half and roast the garlic in the oven until soft. Squidge out the garlic, let it cool and add to your butter.

Herby Butter

(the world is your oyster here, I like rosemary and thyme together but tarragon is also very nice, especially on mushrooms! Check out our recipe booklets for other good herb/veg combos)

1 packet of butter

1 handful of freshly chopped herbs

1/2 tsp salt

Chilli Butter

(melt and use to make Kale Chips!)

1 packet of butter

A zest of half a lemon

1 tbsp of dried chilli flakes

1/4 tsp salt

Loads more recipes can be found on the BBC Good Food website and at The Nibble but look out for more flavoured butters on this blog too!

Tutti Rooti

Winter gets a bad rep for vegetables and unnecessarily so. This is the time when we can indulge in that hidden delight of the plant: the root!
Hearty, healthy and full of flavour this next recipe makes the most of winter's best produce.

(this recipe can be found in its original form on the BBC Good Food Website... but trust me its better this way)

Turnip and Bacon Pie

Ingredients
1 turnip (peeled and chopped into 2 cm cubes)
1 onion (chopped)
1 carrot (sliced)
12 rashers of bacon ( devoid of fat and chopped into slithers)
3 potatoes (peeled and chopped into chunks)
1 parsnip (peeled and chopped into chunks)
300ml chicken stock
lots of parsley (chopped)
1 tbls butter
1 tbls milk
salt and pepper

Method

• Boil your potatoes and parsnip until soft and then mash with the butter and milk.
• Fry the bacon in a little olive oil (or you can use some of the discarded fat)
  
• Remove the bacon from the pan and sauté the onions in the same oil (adding more if necessary) until soft
• Then add the turnip and carrot and cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken stock and cook until the vegetables are soft but not smooshy.
• At this point you might want to add a little cornflour (about 2 tsp mixed in 2 tbls of water) to thicken the gravy
• Season the mix and stir in the parsley.
• Transfer the filling into a medium sized pie dish and cover with the mashed potato/parsnip.
  
• Fluff up the potato topping with a fork (this gives nice crusty bits later on)
• Grill the pie until the topping starts to turn crispy and light brown.
• Serve piping hot from the oven for a great winter supper.
  

You can't curry love...

... but if you could it would probably come in the form of this cosy winter warmer. An ideal way to banish those sub-zero temperatures. This recipe has been used by my family for years and comes from the wonderful "Good Housekeeping Cookery Book", a tome of biblical significance in the world of home cooking (Alisa refers to it constantly in Plenty).


Curried Parsnip Soup

Ingredients
40 g butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
700 g parsnips (about 5 medium sized veg) finely diced
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock
150 ml of milk (or cream if you are that way inclined)

• Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and gently fry the onions and parsnips for about 5 minutes (watch those parsnips because they do have a tendency to stick to the pot... tricky little devils).
• Stir in the spices and let them "infuse" for about 2 minutes (again watching those parsnips)
• Add the stock, some salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the veg is soft (it is at this point you will realise why it is important to finely dice the parsnips)
  
• Allow to cool and then blitz to within an inch of its life (personally I dislike lumpy soup).
• Stir in the milk and enjoy warming your cockles.

This recipe gives enough for 6 people.

If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake

Yesterday we had our Make Change Happen exhibition and never one to pass up an opportunity to cultivate my baking skills, I thought it an ideal event to try a recipe for parsnip cake.

I first heard of parsnip cake from a Swedish bakery in Edinburgh. I haven't tried it myself (I just cannot resist a cardomom bun instead) however those who have tried it have -without fail- raved about it. So when I needed an exciting seasonal cake recipe to lure in the crowds to our MCH stall parsnip cake seemed the ideal choice. I made over 40 pieces of cake which were gone before we knew it. It appears parsnip cake is universally loved!

I just a recipe adapted from the epicurious blog. Personally I thought their icing quantities were slightly ridiculous (also I had run out of powdered sugarso had to improvise...).

Its a perfectly moist and spicy cake to see in the Christmas season and one cake easily feed 12-16 people (or one Bruce Bogtrotter). Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 tbls ground ginger
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 kernal grated nutmeg

3/4 tsp ground cloves
3 large eggs
120 ml vegetable oil
120 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 medium sized parsnips (shredded)
1/2 cup walnuts

For the icing:
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
100g of cream cheese
15g of butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
about 1/2 a thumb of finely grated fresh ginger

• Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the bottom and grease and flour the sides of an average sized cake tin
  
• Then toast the walnuts in a hot oven for about 5 minutes (watch carefully, they might burn). Then put them in a teatowel and bash with a rolling pin until they are in small pieces (or use a gin bottle if no rolling pin is avaliable)
• Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, spices & sugar in a bowl
• In another bowl whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla and milk
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix thoroughly (although try and not over stir for you want to keep in quite airy)
• Then add your grated parsnips and walnuts
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until an inserted skewer comes out clean
• Meanwhile make the icing by whisking the cream cheese and butter (at room temperature) until the mix is somewhat runny (unlike the carrot cake recipe!)
• Then add the powdered sugar, the vanilla and the grated ginger. Mix thoroughly.
• Once the cake is cool, drizzle the icing over the top.

And a Parsnip in a Peartree

“A soundbite never buttered any parsnips”
- John Major

We are all painfully aware that parsnips are the slightly uglier, slightly woodier, definitely less popular cousin of the carrot and potato. Relegated to the "roasted root veg mix" parsnips rarely make an appearance on the modern dinner table. What a great opportunity lost we say! These veggies are spicer, softer but just as verstile as their famous relatives.

Find out just how great they are in our "parsnip facts".

Nourishing Nibbles

• Parsnips are high in Vitamin C and folate
• They also contain Niacin (Vitamin B3 - this is essential for the digestive system, skin and nerves)
• Parsnips are thought to be good for the respiratory system (more specifically bronchial function) so if you have asthma – eat up!
• Parsnips are also high in potassium and dietary fibre

Cream of the Crop

• Choose parsnips that are crisp, firm and of an average size – bigger does not mean better when it comes to flavour!
• Store parsnips in a plastic bag in the fridge – they like cool temperatures!
• Parsnips keep well for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
• After cooking, use within two days. Parsnips freeze well – up to ten months – when blanched

Cooking

• Parsnips are versatile – they are tasty steamed, baked, roasted or boiled and you can eat parsnips raw too!
• Peel parsnips just before cooking or chop them in cubes and store in water with a little lemon juice to prevent them from going brown
• Boil parsnips and then mash them. When combined with a bit of milk, butter salt and pepper – they are delicious!!

Parsnip Trivia

• Don’t go picking wild parsnips! They can be easily mistaken for water hemlock; these are poisonous!
• The Romans thought the parsnip was an aphrodisiac.
• The parsnip is a root vegetable and is related to the carrot and parsley.
• Parsnips were once used in abundance – both as a vegetable and as a sweetener - before the potato surpassed it in popularity.

Honey days chasing those clouds away

I used to hate honey, when I was younger I would refuse to come in the kitchen when my mother baked with it. I was an odd child. Odd and stupid it seems, for honey is one of natures wonders. Naturally sweet with no processing required, it can always be found locally and (extra-wonderfully in my opinion) can be used to sweeten both sweet and savory dishes!

This recipe invokes images of long sunday lunch with friends and family and works particularly well on a day when you have no energetic plans post-dinner... I have called it a side dish but in truth I'd be happy eating a whole plate of these alone.

Honey Roast Parsnips & Sesame Seeds

Ingredients:

1/2 kg parnsips,
2 tbsp of runny honey
2 tbsp of oil (I like rapeseed oil in this but olive oil works equally well)
2 tbsp of sesame seeds

• Preheat your oven to about 220°C (quite hot!)
  
• Chop the parsnips in half and then lengthways into wedgelike fingers. You will probably get around 10 wedges per parsnip, some like to remove the "woody" core. I never bother.
• Boil in some salted water for about 4 minutes, drain and then place them in a roasting tray.
• Drizzle with the honey and then skoosh them about a bit until they are fully coated.
• Roast for about 15-20 minutes (watch they dont burn or stick to the bottom of the tray!)
• Dry fry the sesame seeds until they begin to change colour (to a slightly golden colour not to black... then they have burnt).
• Sprinkle the cooked (and now very sticky) parsnips with sesame seeds
• Eat copious amounts as soon as possible.
  

If the stew fits.

Every "seasoned" cook has a little notebook in which they keep favourite recipes jotted down from here and there. Whilst I would never consider myself a cook - more of a epicurean experimenter - I too have such a notebook. Mostly I have no idea where the recipes come from but this next one I think may be courtesy of the wonderful Claire MacDonald; a super cook who frequently uses seasonal Scottish (very similar to Swedish) produce in her food.

The original recipe calls for dumplings, however, I found the meat and vegetables itself hearty enough so have omitted them (also, secretly, when I try to make them they always fall apart). The recipe also suggests peeling the carrots and parsnips, personally I think life is too short. I don't have pictures for this post, but then stew probably falls into the category of "tastes better than it looks"

n.b I think this is a "start the day before" recipe which might put some off, but trust me its worth it!

Winter Beef Stew

Stew Ingredients:
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1 kg of stewing beef
2 tbsp flour
2 onions (chopped "lagomly"*)
1-2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)
2 carrots (chopped "lagomly")
2 parsnips (chopped "lagomly")
half a turnip, (peeled and chopped "lagomly")
2 leeks (sliced)
2 sticks celery (sliced)
2 beetroots (peeled and chopped "lagomly")
2 pints of beef stock

• Heat the oil in a heavy casserole dish
• Put the beef and flour (and some salt and pepper seasoning) into a bag (if your veg came in a polybag why not use it) and toss until thoroughly coated
• Brown the beef in the hot oil and remove using a slotted spoon, before cooking the onions in the remaining oil.
• Once the onions are a nice golden colour, stir in the garlic.
• Add the vegetable and stock. Once the stew has reached a gentle simmer, return the meat to the pan.
• Pop on the lid and cook in a moderate oven (about 180-200°C) for 2 hours.
• Take it out the oven and let it cool (hence why this is a "day before recipe").
• Once the dish is cool (or before you plan to serve the stew) return the pot to the moderate oven until it reaches a simmer. This takes between 30minutes -1 hour. Then let it simmer for 30 minutes or so. Just enough time for a nice brisk walk in the winter snow.
• The stew can be served on its own, with crusty bread, mash potatoes or dumplings. Whatever tickles your fancy.
  

* chopped "lagomly" = neither fine nor chunky but rather just right

Oven baked root vegetables with spice

This is another great and easy recipe from Hanne Holm

INGREDIENTS
3 medium large beetroots (ca 300 g) peeled and cut into small boats
5-6 potatoes (ca 400 g) peeled and cut into small boats
3 carrots (ca 300 g) peeled and cut into sticks
2 parsnips (ca 200 g) peeled and cut into sticks
1 leek in slices
4-5 shallots in boats
4 bay leaves

DRESSING
6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp dry oregano
3 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground pepper

GARNISH
parsley, chopped

COOKING
Prepare all the vegetables and have all ingredients ready.
Mix olive oil with lemon juice, cumin and oregano and add salt to taste. Put a little of the dressing in the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Mix the vegetables and the bayleaves onto the dish, pour the rest of the dressing over and turn the veggies carefully so that all are covered in dressing.

Bake in the oven for app. 1 hour on 180°C, or until the vegetables are tender - turn them occationally. Garnish with parsley before serving.

I love to serve a tahini dressing to this as I really think that the rich bitter taste goes well with the sweetness of the baked veggies.
It is also good to sprinkle sesame seeds on the vegetables before putting into the oven.