Carrot, Parsnip and Squash Recipes

Great Weather

Glorious day – crisp with bright sunshine, almost a spring day so down to the plot.

First a trip to the compost heap with a couple of buckets full from home. Our bin at home is full and the veg waste bucket hardly makes a dent on the allotment bins.

I like to compost as much as possible so not just vegetable waste but cardboard egg cartons and paper towels go in as well. As our council now collect paper waste, newspapers and shredded documents go to them.

Then a stroll around to check if the recent winds had done any damage. Not to me, but a few greenhouses are missing glass and next doors plot had some bits blown around. A quick tidy up there and then to work.

First I finished digging over where the potatoes are going on Plot 5 except for where the leeks are still standing proud. Harvested another row of those, leaving the trimmings to the compost heap.

Then to other end of the plot where there was a full carrier bag of carrots to be had. My carrots must taste well because the slugs are suffering from obesity. Little fat back slugs, to be precise. The carrots are pretty ropy but I’ll be turning them into carrot and parsnip mash, which freezes well and there is space in the freezer now.

The parsnips haven’t done so well either. No slug damage but the clay seems to cause them to become balls with lots of side shoots – like alien octopi. I also made a cardinal mistake and sowed too thickly and didn’t thin them out. Overcrowded does not mean more crop, just lots of un-usably small ones.

Carrot and Parsnip Mash Recipe

Equal parts of carrots and parsnips either cooked until soft in little water or, as I do, in a pressure cooker so they are not overly wet. Then add salt, pepper and butter. Mash with potato masher and you’re done. Freezes well.

On the subject of mash…. The squashes are still fine in storage. My favourite recipe.

Squash Mash Recipe

Cut the flesh of the squash into small cubes – about ? to 1 inch is fine and cook with very little water (a tablespoon is plenty) in a heavy pan with the lid on until soft. Season with salt and pepper then add one minced clove of garlic. Mash well with a little butter.

If too wet, drain the liquor into a pan, reduce by half and add it back. Really flavoursome.