These aren’t the home fries that are your hangover cure from the local greasy spoon. These are the home fries that cure your hunger from hustling through the market, navigating around strollers and avoiding some nasty road rage in the free parking lot. You know what I’m talking about.
I love seeing plants go through different stages of their life cycle. Right now the garlic chives, ramps and spring onions are abundant, and in a few weeks their next stages will appear in the form of green garlic, groovy garlic scapes, shallots and leeks will start to appear.
Parsnips have stages too, getting better and better with time. They truly are a slow food – slow to seed, slow to grow, but worth the wait. After the first frost in fall, their starches start to convert to sugar. You’ll see them in many winter root vegetable dishes, adding a savory sweetness. They can be left in the ground all winter long and when they are dug up in spring, my oh my are they sweet when roasted.
Cue these Parsnip & Garlic Chive Home Fries.
This might sound strange, but a deep inhale of garlic chives in the spring is as invigorating for me as that of an inhale of daffodils. Yes, food dork, I know. But it’s true! They’re the perfect match for the sweet caramelized parsnips. And those brown crispy edges? Dang….so good, a result of roasting instead of frying, which keeps this side dish on the healthier side too.
I love how the chives are fresh, grassy and garlicky without the harshness of raw garlic cloves. You can use both white and green parts, much like ramps. I used one spring onion for garnish too. Their flavor is much milder than a fully grown onion, and the more green the better, right?
These home fries are great on their own, but add a poached egg and a side of thick cut bacon and you’ll be thinking you should start your own market fresh hipster brunch spot. Just make sure you’ve got PBR in a can if you decide to do that.
serves 2-3
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into dices (about 3 cups diced)
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons minced garlic chives
1 spring onion, thinly sliced, crosswise
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread parsnips equally onto two baking sheets so that they are not touching each other. Drizzle each pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a crack of fresh ground pepper. Bake both pans for 12 minutes, then stir and bake for additional 20 minutes, until parsnips are tender and golden brown.
Remove from oven and stir in remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, chives and most of the onion, leaving about a tablespoon for garnish. Add to plate and garnish with remaining onion.
Add a poached egg and a side of bacon for a smashing breakfast.
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Millie
May 29, 2014
I can so see this with a poached egg on the side and egg oozing down!! Mmmm! And I’m also obsessed with anything roasted!
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Alanna
May 27, 2014
Oh yum! These look and sound spectacular! I’ll have to keep an eye our for garlic chives – they may require enduring some farmer’s market road rage, but they’ll be worth it!
Kathryn
May 26, 2014
I have such a soft spot for home fries – there’s nothing better to start the day! Love, love, love the flavours in these.
Amanda Paa
May 26, 2014
thanks kathryn! our markets are still slow to have a lot of veg variety, but sometimes the simplest things are best. garlic chives are one of my new favorites.
Crista
May 25, 2014
yum! i love this post. i agree with you on the garden smells….
Amanda Paa
May 26, 2014
i’m so jealous of your garden that you just planted!