Once the snowdrops are out and the buds on the trees start breaking, I have usually had enough of mashed, roasted, and baked roots and am gasping for the fresh greens of spring. As the root season draws to a close, I find a dish of parsnips and celery root, thinly sliced and slowly baked, makes a pleasant enough change. Sweet and yielding, this is both an accompaniment and a vegetable dish in its own right. I have used the quantities below as a main dish for two before now.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4

　　onion – a large one

　　parsnip – 1 pound (500g)

　　celery root – 1 pound (500g)

　　butter – 5 1/2 tablespoons (85g)

　　thyme leaves – a teaspoon

　　vegetable stock – 6 1/2 tablespoons (100ml)

　　

Step 1

Peel the onion and slice it into thin rounds. Put them in a large bowl. Peel the parsnips and celery root and cut them into very fine slices. A sharp knife will work, but you could use a mandoline or the appropriate disk, on your food processor (it’s the one at the very back of the drawer). However you go about it, your slices should be almost thin enough to see through. Toss them with the onion.

　　

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Melt the butter in a shallow ovenproof pan, then add the vegetables, layering them neatly or just chucking them in as the mood takes you, seasoning with the thyme leaves, pepper, and salt as you go. Be quite generous with the salt. Now pour the stock over the top.

　　

Step 3

Cover with a round of wax paper or aluminum foil, pressing it down well on the top of the cake. Bake for about an hour and ten minutes, until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove the cover, increase the heat to 425°F (220°C) and bake for a further ten minutes, until the top has colored and crisped a little.

　　Tender