Parsnips and Pagentry - Thoughts on a bike

For me cycling is not only a great exercise and stress buster, I love the way I get lost in my thoughts.
Lately cycling has been a surreal experience with 80 degree temperatures along with falling leaves and the colours of Autumn. Twitchy pheasants fearfull of the imminent shooting season complete the picture and my mind strays to game dishes and onto parsnips - Prince of Autumn vegetables.

Hugely versatile with many different ways to prepare, I still feel roasted parsnips are the best.

We currently have honey roasted parsnips finished with grated Parmesan on our menu and they are delicious. My good friend Sara, a very fine cook, prefers a slightly different preparation to me. She boils hers first, drains them, fluffs them up and sprinkles them with flour before roasting in the oven. This develops a beautifully crunchy edge to the parsnips.

I think then of the splendid, plump pheasants and partridges soon to be available from the shoot at Fanham's Hall Estate. Wonderful with parsnips, I can't wait!

Thinking these thoughts I coast past a field of sunflowers, glorious in the sunshine. This sets my mind off again - 2012 is a monster year for the UK with Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics. Imagine if we could be creative with flowers of red, white and blue in fallow fields, what a display for incoming visitors to our airports. The French do it for the Tour de France - why can't we? And what about roundabouts, villages and towns as we drive through our magnificent countryside? Just a thought!

Hang on - junction ahead. Back to the real world.
Think about it though - Roast parsnips this Sunday?

Go on, give them a go.