What we ate for dinner

We are well over a month into the first year of the CSA, and let it be known that, so far, I’m winning. Yes, vegetable eating has become a competitive sport around here. It’s more me vs. the crisper drawers than me vs. Sara (she’s more of a hapless bystander). So far, I’ve eaten my weight in rhubarb, figured out that garlic scapes go with just about everything, and snuck parsnips into every dish I could think of (although I did not repeat the parsnip frosting disaster of ’03).  Last week I actually reached parsnip 0 in the fridge. This hasn’t happened in weeks. This week, I had to buy extra vegetables because I ran out. I am so winning!

Here’s a recipe I came up with to use up all those parsnips. You could mix it up with other root vegetables — carrots would be especially nice in this, I think.

Roasted Parsnip Spread
Good as a sandwich spread or as a dip for veggies or pita

3/4 C red lentils
3 parsnips cut into 1-inch chunks
3 garlic scapes cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp dried rosemary
salt
olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Put red lentils in a small pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are cooked (about 15 minues). Drain and set aside.
3. While lentils are cooking, arrange parsnips and garlic scapes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with rosemary and a couple pinches of salt. Drizzle with about 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and toss to coat vegetables. Roast in oven until parsnips are tender and slightly browned (about 20-30 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
4. In a food processor, combine lentils, roasted vegetables, vinegar (or lemon juice), and salt & pepper to taste. Process until smooth and adjust seasonings to taste.