Ode to a Parsnip

The parsnip is, I am convinced, one of nature's perfect vegetables. As this picture (from Wikipedia, no less) illustrates, it is a pleasingly pale yellow in color, much knobblier than a carrot, with a distinctive taste that yet goes well with a great many other vegetables and meats. Parsnips taste of fall, just as peaches taste of summer and asparagus tastes of spring. They seem to go perfectly with crisp days and smoky evenings- cool, but not too cold. Our southern California October has been on the warm side, but this past weekend was a set of three very blustery days, with enough bite in the wind to warrent a sweater and stockings. In honor of our first hint of fall I made herbed chicken and an enormous dish of roasted root vegetables for Sunday lunch, along with three kinds of homemade bread. Sunday lunch for our family means everyone invites friends, especially my younger siblings still in college who bring home their friends whose families live too far away for regular visits. This past Sunday felt almost like Thanksgiving, with so many people and the counter piled with food (there were even enough leftovers to make soup). I think that may be why fall is my favourite season- there are so many occasions for celebrating over a meal with family and friends. Now if the weather gods could just send us a bit of real fall weather, I'd have nothing more to ask for.