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French Gastronomes admit Britain was right - Parsnips !!!


chessie
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Don't know if anyone saw this in Monday's Times - can't do the link but it's  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7009003.ece  and the article heading is -

'Parsnips find favour with nation of food-lovers in France'...by Adam Sage (? what !!  ?) -

The parsnip is no longer the 'forgotten vegetable'.....they are now regarded as the 'perfect definition of taste'.......

Yippeeee - I knew sooner or later we could teach the French something - just once !!!!!!!!!!!

Read the article and smile - us Brits were right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Big Smile [:D]

Chessie


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We, ie OH and me, have been doing our very best re the humble parsnip since we arrived in France in 2005. Having been on the receiving end of blank looks, derisory looks and sheer incomprehension from the French friends we have served with 'panais', I can cheerfully report that we have converted quite a few to the joys of the humble parsnip. Well, I say that, but that was in our home; in their own home I am not so confident that they would actually buy and cook them  But I live in hope!

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We always used to grow our own but the veggie plot is now being built on. We are lucky that we can get virtually any veggie from the farm a few house away but when I asked about the parsnip I was told they don't bother with them as they stay in the ground too long. I note that within days of one crop being cut the fields are ploughed up and replanted.
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I've been serving them up to the French for several years now.. and they usually eat them!!

Personally, the best are double wrapped in silver paper with butter and olive oil and shoved in the fire(red coals, not flames) for about 30 mins..

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Last year I had just made some parsnip and apple soup when Chantal my french neighbour arrived. She asked me what it was and I gave her a spoon to taste - ugh was the reply, beaucoup de sucre she stated, Non i replied, beaucoup de creme she said, Non i replied. She told me that pannais where used to feed pigs, perhaps I said but I bought these in Super U and we use them a lot in the UK. Several weeks later we were invited to dinner to meet some of their friends. A conversation started up about parsnips on sale in the supermarkets and had any of us tried them, Chantal said she had never tried pannais, unfortunately I blurted out yes she had tasted my soup, I received a killer look before she remembered and especially when one of her friends said parsnip and apple soup was very good!

Chris
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I have never tried them, I suppose that, as for many of my fellow citizens, it evokes the privations of   WWII , only my grand parents told me about them.

It was what you had when nothing else was left..........

I will try them, want to have my own experience.

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My new veg garden is still under lots of snow - but bought some parsnips seed when over in UK recently- as we miss them very much and can't find them here.

They will ber parboiled for 5 mins (smell like old socks, warning Frenchie) then roasted - the best.

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[quote user="Frenchie"]

I have never tried them, I suppose that, as for many of my fellow citizens, it evokes the privations of   WWII , only my grand parents told me about them.

It was what you had when nothing else was left..........

[/quote]

It wasn't only French people. I recall eating bread and lard, nowadays channel swimmers smear it all over to keep out the cold. 

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