Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson salutes parsnips

Savoury root-vegetable crumble

(below) Prepare two leeks (washed), three large carrots and three large parsnips. Cut into evensized chunks. Toss with olive oil and a splash of maple syrup before tipping into a roasting tin. Roast for about 25 minutes or until almost cooked. Meanwhile, make a simple white sauce by melting 40g butter and adding 40g plain flour. Mix well and slowly add 400ml milk. Bring to a boil and simmer to thicken. Season well. Place the vegetables in a baking dish. Pour in the white sauce and cover with a crumble topping made from rubbing the following between your fingertips: 100g plain flour, 100g fresh breadcrumbs, 50g butter and a chopped sprig of rosemary. Bake in the oven until the top is golden. Serve with roasted meats.

Honey-and-mustard roasted parsnips

Peel and cut parsnips into evensized pieces. Whisk together equal amounts of olive oil, runny honey and wholegrain mustard and pour over the parsnips. Toss well so everything’s coated and tip into a roasting tin. Roast in a hot oven for about 30 minutes, depending on size, or until cooked. Serve as a side dish.

Parsnip-and-potato rösti Coarsely grate parboiled parsnips and potatoes. Place in a tea towel and squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Season well, adding chopped herbs, such as rosemary or thyme, and drop small mounds into heated oil in a frying pan. Turn once the base is golden and they can hold their shape. Serve with everything, even smoked salmon, but they’re perfect with Swiss veal Geschnetzeltes.

Deliciously sweet and flavoursome roots, parsnips are so versatile that they deserve to go far beyond a Sunday roast’