Easy Gourmet! Praise for the lowly parsnip! Raise the Root (vegetable)!

Parsnip Apple Soup, Smoked Trout, Roasted Beets & Watercress Salad

Parsnip Soup with Brown Butter and Crème Fraiche (originating on amazonfresh.com

SOUP (doubles easily)

• 1/2 lb Parsnips
• 1/2 Medium Onion
• 1/2 Fuji Apple, peeled
• 1 T Butter
• 2 T Olive Oil
• Ginger
• 3 Sprigs Thyme
• 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 cups Chicken Broth
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider
• 1/2 cup Half & Half
• Kosher Salt to taste
• White Pepper to taste

BROWN BUTTER AND CREME FRAICHE (note this makes a fair amount, feel free to scale down)

• 1 stick Butter
• 1/2 cup Crème Fraiche
• 1/2 Lemon, squeezed

1. Soup: Peel and chop parsnips, onion and apple into one inch chunks. Place in pot with oil and butter on medium heat until soft. Add ginger, thyme and garam masala and cook for two minutes. Add chicken broth and cider and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove to blender, add half and half and puree. TAKE CARE to pulse blender a few times so it doesn’t explode. Squeeze half a lemon into blender while moving. Place back in pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. Hint: as with all soups they are better made the day before.
2. Brown Butter and Crème Fraiche: Place butter in small sauce pan and cook on medium heat, stirring OFTEN, especially as the butter begins to brown. When you see the weigh protein begin to turn brown, stir vigorously and then remove to heat proof container. Reserve. For soup you will need to combine ½ cup of the crème fraiche and 3-4 tablespoons of the brown butter(make sure to scoop up as much of the brown weigh as possible) and a squeeze of lemon.

ROASTED BEETS

• 2 ea Red Beets
• 6 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt to taste

HORSERADISH CREAM

• Creme Fraiche
• Horseradish
• 1 T lemon juice

SALAD

• 6 oz Smoked Idaho Trout
• 1/4 bunch Watercress
• 2 oz Shaved Fennel
• Black Pepper to taste
• 2 slices, bacon

1. Preheat oven to 350, toss beets with olive oil and salt, place in oven on cooking sheet and roast until tender all the way through, approximately 40 minutes. Chill beets and peel off skin. Slice beets into quarter inch wedges and reserve for service.
2. Cook bacon
3. Mix together horseradish, squeeze one quarter the lemon and crème fraiche and reserve for service.
4. Shave the fennel with a knife and place in a bowl with beets, watercress. Dress with olive oil and remainder of the lemon. Season with salt and pepper and place half on each plate. Break trout into bite sized pieces place around salad mix. Spoon a few tablespoons of horseradish cream on plate. Top with bacon and enjoy!