Parsnip Maple Cake (Photo provided — Yvona Fast)

Long before potatoes made their journey from the New World to the old, parsnips were Europe’s ‘go-to’ veggie. At a time when the process for refining sugar from cane and beets was still unknown and honey was an expensive luxury, parsnips were often on the dessert menu. Sweet, starchy and nutty, they were a part of many cakes and baked goods. Could the first carrot cake have been a parsnip cake?

Parsnips grow wild across Europe and Asia. They belong to the umbelliferae plant family which includes carrots, parsley, celeriac, fennel and chervil. The were popular in ancient Roe; the Romans often added them to cakes and other sweet treats. The starchy root is filling and nutritious, which made them popular during the Middle Ages. Mothers gave babies the root to suck when weaning them, and mashed parsnips were often an early solid food, just as mashed potatoes are today. And just like potatoes today, they were often served alongside meat, poultry or fish.

Parsnips made their way across the Atlantic with early colonists. The Pilgrims introduced them to Native Americans, who quickly added it to their repast of corn and beans.

Today, however, parsnips have largely been replaced by potatoes. Although still common fare in Europe, most Americans are unfamiliar with the pale, tapered vegetables hiding behind carrots in the vegetable aisle.

In the garden, the hardy root can be left in the soil through the winter, to harvest when the ground opens in spring,. The winter frost leaves them sweet and tender. They are much better adapted for cool climates than are potatoes, which must be harvested in the fall.

The parsnip resembles an ivory-skinned carrot. When young and tender, they can be grated into salads, but when mature they’re tough and fibrous, so they’re best cooked. They form the base of creamy soups and crispy fritters.

When mashed, they sub well for mashed potatoes, and can be used in a pie in place of pumpkin. Early American colonists used the sweet, starchy roots in puddings and pancakes.

The sweet, starchy root is relatively high in calories – 50 to 60 per half cup of cooked parsnip. While the natural sugars give you an energy boost, just one parsnip (depending on size) contains 20 to 25 percent of your daily fiber requirements. It is also a good source of potassium, calcium, and vitamin A and contain phosphorus and iron.

Parsnips are great in dessert recipesTheir natural sweetness is a great asset, so you won’t need to use much sugar.

Parsnip Maple Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (or 1 cup oat flour)

1 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup real maple syrup

4 Tablespoons butter

3 eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1 or 2 parsnips depending on size (1 1/2 cups, shredded)

1 apple, cored but not peeled, and chopped

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

For frosting:

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

To make oat flour, process 1 1/2 cups rolled oats with the steel blade of a food processor. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In saucepan, heat maple syrup and butter until butter softens. Remove from heat, cool slightly and beat in eggs. Stir in sour cream and flour ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter or oil a 9-inch by 9-inch pan (or round pans if you wish)

Shred parsnips; chop apples. Stir into the batter along with nuts or raisins, if using.

Transfer to prepared baking tin. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

To make frosting, beat all ingredients together with electric bitter until whipped. Top cooled cake.

Easy Parsnip and Apple Dessert

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter

1 large parsnip

2 apples

1 to 2 Tablespoons apple cider or water

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, optional

Directions:

Melt butter in pan; add parsnips and apples and cook about 5 minutes. Add apple cider or water & cinnamon and cook five minutes more until apples & parsnips have softened. Serve warm or chilled, on its own or as a topping for vanilla ice cream. Top with toasted walnuts, if desired. Serves 2.

Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: cooking and writing. She can be reached at www.wordsaremyworld.com, yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Facebook as Author

Yvona Fast.