Continuing our journey through vegetarian favorites, we are giving focus to a clever side dish for your summer eating needs. It's burger season and that means that the go to side - fries - will get their due. And lest you think there's only the tater variety, get ready for some new fry joy. One of my absolute favorite kinds of oven fries are made with thinly sliced parsnips tossed with oil and then a cornstarch mixture flavored with parmesan, rosemary, and salt. I'm drooling just thinking about it.
You can mix up the seasoning as desired on these. I've done taco seasoning, chili seasoning, jalapeño and cheddar seasoning, and more. Penzey's Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle is stunning and super easy to use. Nearly every dry salad dressing mix on the planet will also work. You get the idea. And forgo ketchup - these are great on their own or dipped into specialty mustard or aioli.
And while burgers are the traditional star of this show, I love them with basically anything that comes off the grill. Ribs? Yes, please. Chicken? Swoon. Grilled assorted veggies? OMG, yes! Again, you get the idea. And hey, there is no rule that says you cannot just make a batch or three of these fries and just dig in. They are the star of the show!!!
Parmesan Parsnip Fries
- 1 ½ pounds parsnips
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 4 tablespoons finely grated/powdered parmesan
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Peel the parsnips and cut them into strips/fries. Toss the fries with 1 tablespoon of the oil and coat a heavy baking sheet with the other tablespoon of oil.
Stir the parmesan, cornstarch, rosemary, and salt in a bowl, then add the parsnips and toss well to coat. Add the parsnips to the pan.
Roast the fries for 25 minutes or until golden, turning or stirring halfway through. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 35 minutes