Roots

We had our first frost this morning, so it's time to say a sad farewell to the summer growing season! The next few weeks will be all about cleaning up in the garden and spreading compost and mulch, planting garlic and  preparing things for next spring. Unfortunately, accompanying that first frost is my first head cold of the season too, so my energy level is pretty sluggish at the moment. No matter, the freezers are full and the jars of tomatoes, applesauce and sauerkraut are gleaming, and there's still fresh harvest to be had from the garden, including these roots:

 I have three beds of carrots still growing which are quite small, but tasty. Some local voles have discovered them and I find some are missing daily, but they've left a few for us. The radishes are still healthy and producing some bulbs which are less mild than the spring ones, but still enjoyable to crunch in a salad. And there are plenty of parsnips! This year is the first time I've had success with them, which makes me extremely happy. Tonight I decided to make a great recipe with the parsnips and carrots that a friend gave me a few years ago. It's a medley of the two root vegetables roasted with a bit of butter, water and dill and really tastes delicious for all its simplicity!

 I play around with the quantities to suit what I have on hand, but the basic recipe calls for 1 and a half cups each of julienned carrots and parsnips, a tablespoon of water, two tablespoons of butter, dillweed (I use a tablespoon of fresh or a teaspoon of dried) and half a teaspoon of salt. Put it all in a covered casserole and bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Done!

This goes well with any main course and it seriously highlights the great flavor of the roots, especially the parsnips. More frost is coming tonight by all reports and this recipe suits the chilly evenings we're getting now when comfort food is what a body needs!