Parsnip muffins

Continuing my root vegetable purge, I used up three parsnips for some muffins on Saturday. The recipe came from Alton Brown, one of the first recipes of his I've ever made. Here's how it went down:

Have you ever seen a parsnip? They are like big, white, hairy carrots. But they taste like turnips.


I had to grate 10 oz. for the recipe, which was actually kind of a pain in the ass. First, they bleed a rusty, milky substance. (Yes, both rusty and milky. When you've chopped into a parsnip, you will see.) Second, these are not as easy to grate as a potato or carrot, leading me to understand why parsnips are not as popular as some of their root veggie cousins. But grate 10 oz. I did.


The recipe included measurements in ounces, not cups. It was a little different, but I have a kitchen scale, so no problem. The recipe was a pretty classic muffin recipe otherwise, except that it included some whole milk yogurt (I used Greek-style, since Alton didn't specify what kind of yogurt). Some toasted almonds on top and they look pretty professional - you'd never know they had over a half-pound of grated root vegetable inside.


They were nice and moist, retaining a little of the bitter flavor. I gave a few to my neighbor, who has been very nice to us. And bunny got the ends and peel of the parsnips! Nothing gets wasted in this kitchen!