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Parsnips?


Tillergirl
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I know the season for parsnips is just about over but where were they?

No matter where I looked there was no sign that they even exsist.[:'(]

Now I know they are not to everyone's taste but I adore them.[:D]

Is there any reason why you cant seem to but them over here?

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The French people we've tried to describe them to think that they are only fit for the pigs or rabbits!

We grew some lovely ones last year but this winter's were very poor.  Had to get some from the UK at Christmas and freeze them.

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Well I am surprised that the French feel that way about such a sweet vegatable but at least that explains why I have been unable to buy any.

I have managed to get hold of some seeds but have no experience growing food so will have to hope for the best and see what happens.

 

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Parsnips are fairly easy to grow once you've got them going, very slow to germinate so don't give up hope after a few weeks following sowing with nothing showing. Some people soak the seed for 24 hours before sowing which may help. They need to be sown quite shallow and not allow the soil to dry out, sow any time from NOW!!  You can space the seeds, two or three at each point, about 15 to 20cm apart.

Where we are a local Bio grower has started to have them for the Brits.

Chris

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I found some at Cazals market, but as I was buying them, my bloke (who's french) furrowed his brow and asked if I was really going to make him eat THOSE.  Which is a bit rich coming from the mouth of someone whose idea of a feast is the molten bone-marrow from some poor beast's hoof. [+o(]

So, anyway,  I roasted the horrid_animal_food_white_carrots, along with some butternut squash, and guess what, he asked for seconds!  Now, every time we visit Cazal market, it's "can we have some more of those white things".

Still can't get him to eat Marmite though [:)]

 

 

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In France they are called 'panais'            Pronounced pah (a as in apple) nei (a as in safe)

One delightful new vegetable I discovered when arriving in UK. Sent my father some seeds to try them out and everytime I go and visit the relos in France I am guaranteed a plate full of it, so much so that now they no longer are my favorite veg [+o(] !

 

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Still got a few dozen in the garden. Just to make you envious,we had some roasted last Sunday. I was told that as the veggie growers here put 2-3 crops in a year, Parsnips are in the ground too long. If anyone got really desperate I can always dig a few.Gratuite not Gratin.

Regards.B&B St.Malo

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The market has them in Troyes (10), but it took lots of asking to find them. 

I teach apprentice cooks and shop keepers - the cooks couldn't understand why I classed parsnips as a vegetable for translation purposes, and the shop keepers just looked at me blankly, EXCEPT for two who worked on the market and said that they had tried them, and that they now bought them.

Still, I've just planted some more seeds today.  Last years lot were mown down by a well meaning Frenchman, who couldn't work out why I had panais growing in my garden!

Margaret

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ohmigod...

got invited for aperitif this evening, and took the neighbours a bag of homegrown parsnips! No wonder she looked a bit taken aback, we didn't realise they looked on them as animal food! Just as well we don't like those neighbours as much as the other ones - when we're finally ready to invite them round for a meal I will have to make sure we serve them some!! :)

hoverfrog
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  • 2 weeks later...
[quote user="Afy"]If you do find a few... please fry them and *pretty please* invite me over :):):)[/quote]

well we've got loads in the freezer now - and have sown the seeds for next year's!

Where are you? We could do 'mashed 'nips' in the autumn, and all the invitees could self power their way home with methane :))

Can't wait? We've quite a few stashed in the freezer :)

hoverfrog

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Though I had been able to get parsnips fairly easily throughout the winter, I made the mistake of asking the farmer at the local bio 'shop' if he had any when I went last week. He looked at me as though I had gone totally mad and told me  that the season had finished.  So that's that then for another year! 

 I just bought my carrots, swede turnips and leeks and made my parsnip free stew!

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Had parsnips at a British friend's house on Saturday with lunch - wonderful.

Eating them and then reading this thread prompted me to plant some of the parsnip seeds that I bought over with me last year, using the root grow things for them for minimum disturbance, now sitting covered in the cold frame.

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