This recipe came in the farm notes with my November holiday share from my CSA. They adapted the recipe from The Herbfarm Cookbook by Jerry Traunfeld. I added a shallot to the recipe which worked really well. The shallot I used is bigger than any shallot I've even seen in the store. You could use an onion or a few smaller shallots. This dish makes about 4 servings but I think it should reheat well or be a good addition to a frittata. The sugar and vinegar gave the dish some sweetness but not too much. Other root vegetables would substitute well, although I've found that not all root vegetables need the same cooking time, sweet potatoes for example seem to cook faster than their counterparts when everything is equally sized.
1 lb parsnips, scrubbed
1 lb carrots, scrubbed
1 large shallot
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tbs dark brown sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 tbs coarsely chopped fresh thyme (mine was more like dried because it had been hanging out for a few weeks)
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cut the parsnips and carrots into similarly sized pieces. Cut the shallot(s) into chunks, these can be larger than the other vegetables. Combine veggies in a bowl and toss with salt and pepper. Melt butter and add the brown sugar and vinegar. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Put coated vegetables in shallow baking dish - hopefully in one layer. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring half way through. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the thyme. Bake until the parsnips are lightly browned and fork tender, about 10-15 minutes longer.
