Parsnip Or Root Vegetable Purée Recipes

PARSNIP OR ROOT VEGETABLE PURéE

Steps:

• Any number of root vegetables can be used to make this purée. Parsnips alone make a sweet purée with a lovely creamy yellow color. Turnips cook quickly and make a loose nutty purée. Carrots, celery root, rutabagas, and kohlrabi can all be turned into a purée as well. Peel and cut the vegetables into large pieces. Cook in salted boiling water until tender. Purée in a food mill and enrich with butter, cream, or olive oil. Celery root and turnips, cut into smaller pieces, can be cooked in butter or olive oil, covered, over low heat without any water. Stir often and lower the heat if the pan starts to scorch.
• A purée may be made from a combination of root vegetables; celery root, carrots, and rutabagas make a delicious combination, and turnips and kohlrabi are also nice together. Puréed potatoes are especially tasty mixed with celery root or parsnip purée. When making combination purées it is best to cook the vegetables separately since they all require different cooking times. They can then be puréed together.

ROOT VEGETABLE PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the carrots, parsnips, turnip and sweet potato with the olive oil and place the vegetables on a large baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 30-45 minutes, turning frequently. Set aside to cool.
• Peel the sweet potato. Finely chop all of the roasted vegetables and transfer to a large saucepan.
• Add the celery root, mace, nutmeg, thyme, broth and Sherry vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add the salt and pepper. Serve with the veal shanks.

AUTUMN ROOT VEGETABLE PURéE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the turnips, carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, and rutabaga, add a good pinch of salt, and cover by 2 inches with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Drain the vegetables and then return them to the saucepan to dry out over medium heat for 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a food mill and puree. Add the butter and salt and pepper to taste, and reheat if necessary before serving.

MARBLEIZED ROOT VEGETABLE PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2-quart baking dish. Cook potatoes, turnips, parsnips and pear in large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return to pot. Stir over low heat until excess moisture evaporates, about 1 minute. Add cream and 5 tablespoons butter and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook carrots in another large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Transfer to processor. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Alternate potato and carrot purees by 1/2 cupfuls in baking dish. Draw knife through purees to marbleize. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Drizzle over purees. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg. Cover with foil. (Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.) Bake covered puree until heated through, about 35 minutes (or 45 minutes if chilled).

CREAMY RICE WITH PARSNIP PURéE AND ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For parsnip puree:
• Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add parsnips and sauté until beginning to soften but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups vegetable stock and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; boil gently, uncovered, until parsnips are tender and stock is reduced by about half, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer parsnip and stock mixture to blender and puree until smooth, scraping down sides occasionally and adding more vegetable stock by tablespoonfuls if puree is very thick. Transfer to bowl. Season puree to taste with salt and pepper. do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• For blanched vegetables:
• Bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil. Add cubed carrots, parsnips, and turnips; simmer just until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Transfer vegetables to bowl of ice water and let stand 10 minutes. Drain well. DO AHEAD: Vegetables can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• For rice:
• Combine 2 1/2 cups water, rice, and 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt in medium saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature.
• Combine cooked rice and 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock in heavy large saucepan. Bring to simmer. Add parsnip puree and stir until heated through and well blended. Stir in blanched vegetables and cook 2 minutes longer. Season rice to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among plates and serve.

ROOT VEGETABLE AND SQUASH PURéE

Steps:

• Butter 10- to 12-cup casserole. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Peel and seed squash and cut into 1-inch cubes. Peel remaining vegetables and cut into 1-inch cubes. Peel remaining vegetables and cut into 1-inch cubes. Add vegetables and bay leaves to boiling water; cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Drain vegetables. Discard bay leaves.
• Puree half of vegetables in processor with half of butter and half of cream, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Transfer puree to bowl. Repeat with remaining vegetables, butter and cream. Transfer to same bowl. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Transfer puree to prepared casserole. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake puree until heated and beginning to brown on top, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.