According to epicurious.com, we have the Moroccans to thank for putting this dish on the map.
But my favorite incarnation is what's sometimes billed as Southern-style. It can incorporate just about any add-in that strikes your fancy (or whatever you have on your shelves). The foundation is, quite simply, carrots and a mayonnaise-based dressing.

Here are the basic proportions, but you can vary it to suit your preferences.

Carrot-Parsnip Salad

Ingredients
1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded or grated
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and shredded or grated
3/4 cup or more of add-ins (see list of suggestions below)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Miracle Whip, or to taste (Note: If you don't have Miracle Whip, use granulated sugar to taste. You want the dressing to have a tinge of sweetness.)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Mix carrots, parsnips and your add-ins together.

In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, Miracle Whip (or sugar) and salt and pepper together until well blended.

Fold dressing mixture into carrot mixture. If mixture is too dry or too wet, adjust proportions accordingly. (Add more mayo if it's too dry, more carrots if it's too wet. But remember, if you let the mixture set, it will get more soggy.) Then you're ready to serve.

Add-in ideas
-- The standby is raisins, and they're perfectly tasty. But you can also try golden raisins or some of the more "gourmet" raisin mixtures out today.
-- Other dried fruits, such as apricots or dates or even pineapple, chopped into small bite-sized pieces. (Canned pineapple can also be nice. Just make sure you drain it well and chop it up.)
-- Nuts, such as pecans, walnuts or pistachios.
-- Dried shredded coconut.

And we'd love to hear of any other combos you come up with!


Originally posted to The Grub Report by Patricia Gibson on November 28, 2007 11:33 PM

Comments

At November 30, 2007 12:40 AM, James Cramer said...

When I was traveling in France it seemed like pureed parsnip was served with just about every lamb or beef dish I ordered. Just sitting there like a soggy pool of wet mashed potatoes. I did start to kind of like it as a condiment for the meat, sort of like a creamy horseradish. But I never did develop a full appreciation for the carrot's poorer cousin.

At December 4, 2007 2:27 PM, marti mckelleb said...

My experience with growing my own parsnips is that the soil is most important. We raised the pale yellow parsnips in the '70s, and they tasted as though you had soaked them in honey. Yummy. So perhaps the European soil is depleted. I did rather like the parsnips I had in Budapest. And also the rutabagas.