Wednesday 13 October 2010

Parsnips, Chillies and Soup

I think I have whats known as a GLUT of chillies, so help ! apart from drying and storing and of course cooking with some, what do all you peeps do with your chillies, suggestions please.



Then there's the Parsnips, I know that you are supposed to wait until a frost to sweeten them and get the best taste, but honestly they are so large and the roots so far down, it took two of  us to dig them up, and it was tough going, so I think cold soil would make thing even harder.  I have left lots in the ground, but decide to dig some up now.


They wouldn't get any prizes for looks, but my goodness they are tasty, so into a soup they went. I was into one of my experimenting soup making moods. This is what I made and it is delicious. I often forget to write down my experiments in soup making, so this one has been written down and posted on my crafts and recipe blog here so if you want the recipe follow the link.

And here is a photo of the soup which is 'Curried Squash, parsnip and courgette' YUMMY !!!

 

18 comments:

Kathleen said...

Yum. I think I want to eat at your house Maureen!
Thanks for telling me where to find the raspberry curd recipe. I'll check it out and maybe next summer, I can make some with my raspberries. :-)

Caro said...

Maureen, just looking at your soup is making me hungry! I love experimenting with different soup flavours and made beetroot, parsnip, carrot and onion which worked well. Your chillies could be strung and hung until you need them - they'd look very festive in the meantime!

Maureen said...

Hi Kathleen, well there was plenty of soup to feed many, so you would have been welcome !! I hope you get to try the curd recipe, it's delicious.
.............................
Hi Caro, just smelling the soup cooking made us hungry and it was lovely. Yours sounds very different, I have loads of beetroot, so maybe I will try it. Thanks for the idea on the chillies. I have already strung some and hung them up, they are taking ages to dry though.

Carole said...

I have made a hot chilli sauce as well as pickling my chillies in vinegar.

Maureen said...

Hi Carole, I would like to know how to pickle some in vinegar, how did you do it, are the seeds left in ? and do they get blanched first ?

Anna said...

I like the parsnip octopus in the bottom photo Maureen ~ must have a go at growing some next year. Sorry but not a chilli fan so unable to help with suggestions. I am sure that you will make good use of them.

allot of veg said...

Hi Maureen
Those parsnips are looking good - I must go and see if mine are ready yet. Have you tried chilli jam? Good with cold meats and salads.

Maureen said...

Hi Anna, parsnips this year were very easy to grow but last year not so good. I have however followed the rule of buying fresh seeds each year and keeping them in the door of the fridge until I sowed them, this seemed to work well, apparently they don't keep well once opened.
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Hi Allot Of Veg, I have bought chilli jam and we love it as it's good for coating chicken breasts before roasting, but I have never made it myself, so thanks for that, I will have to look up a recipe.

Prospero said...

Hi Doc... I'd just keep your chilly peppers to look at!

And that soup! So appetizing.

Parsnips won't grow here (because of the required coolness in the ground: it's still hovering around 27°C here)

Maureen said...

Hi Prospero, I agree the chillies are good to look at, I just wish they kept their lovely bright colours when they dried out, but they shrivel and fade, but still they add lots of taste to spicy dishes in fact they seem to get hotter.
The soup is destined to become a favourite for us.

Country Bliss said...

I've been making chilli jam with mine, it is really lovely.
Yvonne

Pam's English Garden said...

Dear Maureen, What a wonderful harvest! I have the same situation with parsnips as you ... mine are enormous and rather deformed. I didn't wait for a frost to dig some up. We love them in Chicken Stew with Dumplings. Thanks for your recipe ... it's nice to have a variety. Can't help you with the chillies, they aren't something I grow. I hope you had a lovely time at the wedding. Love, Pam x

Damo said...

Hi Maureen, that's a lot of chillies, they look great. I save all my chillies for curries, so they go in the freezer whole. I suppose a couple of days in the fridge for parsnips would be the same as a frost, that should sweeten them up a bit. I have loads in the ground so it's a roast dinner tomorrow I think!

Mark Willis said...

Hi Maureen; Here's a recipe for chilli jam, courtesy of Nigella Lawson. I can vouch for the fact that it is GOOD. Great served on top of some cream cheese on a salty cracker...
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/chilli-jam-2692

Maureen said...

Hi COUNTRY BLISS, I must have a go at chilli jam as I know we love it so have to try to make it.

PAM, the chicken and parsnip stew with dumplings sound delicious, we love stews and casseroles.

DAMO Putting whole chillies in the freezer !!that's a new one for me, but I am going to try that as nothing to lose with all the chillies I have.

MARK Thank you so much for the link, I love Nigella's recipes, so will check it out. I will do a post if I succeed in making some.

Carole said...

Hi, sorry for the delay in replying - the recipe for pickled chillies I found in a book. I just made up a mix of vinegar and spices. Then slice chillies, removing seeds, put in a sterilised jar and top up with vinegar. Keeps for a year.

Also,I have made a 'spitfire' sauce: cook up chillies, an onion, garlic, sugar and some salt in some vinegar for 30 mins. Then blend and pour into bottles. Once opened, keep in refrigerator.

benjiboy said...

Hi there! How about making a swimmingly good chilli paste???? Yum yum in your tum!
1 large garlic bulb, peeled
750g (1.5 lb) fresh green chillies (I used serrano)
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom pods
1 tsp cloves
2 tbsp salt
a little olive oil
mince garlic and chillies then chuck in the rest stir it up big time stylie...pop it into a sterilised jar and put a dribble of olive oil on the top....will keep for 3 months.
I put chillies in my flower arangements using my happy hippy organic flowers too.
Kind regards
Ranners
www.higgledygarden.com

Maureen said...

Thanks CAROLE and BENJIBOY these are being added to my collection of 'What to do with all those Chillies'