Parsnip surprises.

[MickyD]

Hi Caliban - the reason I have been given by older French people is that they don't eat many parsnips or swedes because many had terrible memories of eating only that type of vegetable during the war, and such veg were previously destined for cattle. Even so, with the older generation dying off, things like parsnips are presumably being rediscovered by the younger folk.

[Anna]

Not parsnips (which I now find were sometimes called Welsh carrots) but yesterday I bought some purple carrots. The greengrocer had quite a rainbow selection of colours so I chose purple and lemon ones. They still have an orange core and raw I didn't think they were as sweet as a normal carrot but cooked they certainly were delicious but I can imagine most would find the colour very off-putting! I've found a page on them at the Carrot Museum. (We had quite a long discussion about carrots, the Dutch, and the House of Orange on the AA Thread)

http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/maroon.html

It has been claimed: Purple carrots contained up to five times more phenolics and falcarinol than orange carrots and both compounds are being investigated for their potential to protect against cardiovascular disease, inhibit the development of cancer cells in the body and reverse the negative effects of high-fat diets.

[mercia]

can't wait for the turnip thread to start

.... well, on the subject of swedes - does anyone have a tip for cutting them up ? I have just wrestled with one, nearly losing a finger and breaking the knife, they must be the densest vegetable known to man. An online article suggests that microwaving a whole one for a minute makes it as 'soft' as a raw potato, is that what forumites do ?

[Anna]

.... well, on the subject of swedes - does anyone have a tip for cutting them up ? I have just wrestled with one, nearly losing a finger and breaking the knife, they must be the densest vegetable known to man. An online article suggests that microwaving a whole one for a minute makes it as 'soft' as a raw potato, is that what forumites do ?

Some years back, in the Guardian, Nigel Slater had an "ask Nigel" section so I asked him about possible solutions in dealing with rock hard veggies. Alas, not only did I not get an answer personally from him my query was also not published. I love swedes but cutting them involves a firm grip and either (a) a sawing motion with the sharpest, biggest knife or a sturdy breadknife, or (b) risking losing a finger and using a butcher's cleaver

Silly joke: What do vegetarian cannibals eat?
Swedes.

[mercia]

thanks. I've just tried a breadknife. Sawing wasn't very effective but if I press down on the blunt edge of the breadknife with my spare hand it sliced through quite well

[jean]

Don't try to cut into the centre - start by slicing half an inch or so off the side, and then cut in wedges from there.

[gurnemanz]

I heard on the radio today that orang-utans are very partial to parsnips. (That was a surprise for me). It was part of a report about a court in Argentina that has recognised an orang-utan as a 'non-human person'.

[jean]

And I heard on the radio yesterday that (on the basis of smell alone) an orang-utan was judged to be more sexually attractive than was a human female.

(Parsnips didn't come into it.)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And I heard on the radio yesterday that (on the basis of smell alone) an orang-utan was judged to be more sexually attractive than was a human female.

To whom? (And who was the human female involved?)

[jean]

To whom was not made entirely clear. The woman was Prof Julia Twigg, who took part in the discussion.

[Flosshilde]

thanks. I've just tried a breadknife. Sawing wasn't very effective but if I press down on the blunt edge of the breadknife with my spare hand it sliced through quite well

But the swede was unharmed

[mercia]

well I knew what I meant (I think)