Another Odd Request for a 7 Year Old

So, after the parsnip request, I asked my 7 year old if there was some other food he wanted to try. He said brussel sprouts. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical having never been a fan, but holding to my 'try anything once' philosophy, I had to say let's try it.

I've had brussel sprouts I liked before, but they were prepared by a trained chef in a nice restaurant. So, this was all pretty new to me. I asked around and decided to pan fry them in butter with a little salt and pepper. They turned out pretty good, I think, and I enjoyed them very much. My little guy, though, tolerated them mostly because he asked for them and he wanted to get desert (something you only get if you finish your veggies). He said he didn't want to eat them again. I'm cool with that, and honestly, I'm just happy to see him branching out and trying new things willingly. Who knows what he'll want to try next.

Confessions of a Root Snob

Hello, my name is Rachel. I'm 31 years old, and I've never eaten a parsnip. Of course, I'm always up for trying new things, and when my son asked if we could try parsnips, I had to say I was game. Where does a 7 year old get the idea to try parsnips, Food Network, of course.

I looked up all kinds of recipes, grill them, mash them, roast them. These little mysteries were pretty versatile. I was impressed and inspired. So, I decided I would just roast them like I do any other root veggie we already like. Since I wasn't sure we would like them (although my son assured me that we would because Alton Brown said so), I decided to cook them with potatoes and carrots. Note to self: next time you cook parsnips with potatoes, use a more hearty potato or cut them much bigger. By the time the parsnips and carrots were done, the potatoes I used were a little over done.

I have to say I enjoyed my first parsnip very much. My little guy enjoyed them, too, and he was super proud when I told him I would make sure everyone knew that trying parsnips was his idea. Yay for a new veggie in our house!

Roasted Root Vegetables

4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced (approximately)
4-5 parsnips, peeled and sliced (approximately)
6-7 red potatoes, sliced (Giada De Laurentis uses red bliss potatoes, I don't even know what those are, but thought I would share since the golden kind didn't work out so great for me)
4-5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp basil (approximately)
1 tsp oregano (approximately)
1 tsp thyme (approximately)
1 tsp sugar (approximately, my Memaw says a little bit of sugar makes all the difference for veggies)
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a large shallow pan or cookie sheet. In a large mixing bowl, combine carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Add salt, pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, sugar and oil and toss to coat. Spread out in the pan. You want a pretty thin layer so it all cooks evenly. Cook for about 30-40 minutes or until fork tender.