Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Our recent cover story on root vegetables inspired some readers to share their favorite ways to prepare them.
"Take several of them -- potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, beets, onions and others -- and mix up olive oil with seasonings, salt, pepper, several herbs, etc., in a bowl and coat the vegetable mix, and roast in oven about 30 minutes. They are great," writes Fred Lemons.
A reader wishing to remain anonymous shares this parsnip recipe.
Candied Parsnips
1 pound parsnips
Salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Peel the parsnips and cut them into 2-inch-long sticks about 1/2-inch wide.
Cook parsnips with a pinch of salt in about 2 inches of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well.
In a skillet, melt the butter and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add the cooked parsnips, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until parsnips are tender and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.
And because bacon makes everything better, I can't resist sharing this hash from The Southern Vegetable Book by Rebecca Lang.
Fall Vegetable Hash
4 thick slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 medium turnips, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 pound small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt and ground black pepper
Cook bacon in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, turning frequently. Remove bacon to paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Coarsely chop the bacon.
To drippings in the skillet, add the butter or olive oil. Cook onion and sweet potato in drippings over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the turnips and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Combine the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water. Add Brussels sprouts, garlic and vinegar-water mixture to skillet. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 12/14/2016