Roasted Parsnips with Horseradish Butter

The end of January lingers on.  And would you believe we still have veggies left from our last CSA storage box?  Those carrots, parsnips, potatoes and squash certainly hold up well in the right conditions.  And the bright snap of a carrot when the temperature dips below 0 is a welcome bit of hope of what spring and summer may bring.

But the parsnips...I love them, but these poor pale roots usually leave me a bit uninspired.  This preparation is simple and nothing unique.  However, paired with the horseradish butter, these roasted winter veggies absolutely shine!  The bite of the garlic and horseradish is mellowed by the sweetness of the parsnips and rounded out by the butter. 

adapted from Elise's recipe at Simply Recipes

serves 4

The Ingredients:
for the parsnips
1 1/2 pounds of parsnips
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of vegetable stock

for the butter
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp bottled horseradish, drained
1/2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 green onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400.

Peel the parsnips and cut into stick of an even thickness, about 2 1/2 to 3 inches long.  Toss the parsnips with oil, salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheets.  Pour the stock over the parsnips.

Roast, uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the parsnips are tender and beginning to caramelize

Set aside and keep warm.

In a small bowl, mash together the butter, herbs and horseradish.  Toss about half of the horseradish butter with the parsnips.  Add more butter to taste.  Sprinkle with additional parsley, if desired