I’m compelled to do a little bragging today. At left is a picture of just a few of the many parsnips that I’ve been pulling out of the garden. I know you’re supposed to wait until after a good freeze sweetens these lovely root vegetables, but I don’t have that kind of patience. Nor, in my opinion, do I need it: They cook up as sweet and delish as anything I’ve had from the garden. They’re growing in the bed closest to the kitchen, where I try to plant all my fall/winter veggies. Their tops are a brilliant green and tall and bushy — like Italian parsley on steroids. Parsnips are a relative of parsley but you can’t eat the tops, unfortunately. The greens can be toxic and their stems contain a sap that causes skin rashes when exposed to the sun. So if you’re pulling parsnips, wear gloves and long sleeves/pants. But they do look so beautiful all scrubbed up and creamy white next to the orange Le Creuset. Look for parsnip recipes on this site — we have quite a few and always are adding new stuff. — Adrienne