Can you believe that Christmas is a mere 15 days away? Ill admit- despite the passing of time and my best efforts, I’m not feeling all that Christmassy this year. For the first time in my 26 years, Ill be spending Christmas away from my family, traveling instead to the English coast to be with my boyfriends. Though I’m looking forward to experiencing Andrews traditions, it does feel a bit anticlimactic to be spending the holiday season in England.
As such, I’m having some trouble getting in touch with my festive side. While my Canadian hometown has been dusted with snow over the past week, turning it into a sparkly, magical winter wonderland (or a slippery, slushy Hell- it depends on who you ask) London remains stubbornly green. Yes, my village has its Christmas lights on and there are holiday displays in every shop window, but none of that is doing much to make this foreigner feel at home.
The cure for this homesick holiday ambivalence is quite clearly food (isn’t it always?). Roasting always seems like a particularly festive cooking method, so when I bought these parsnips and carrots from the market on Sunday, I figured that a sweetly roasted side dish was the way to go. I threw in some shallots to balance all the sweetness and drizzled with some maple syrup for that taste of home.
These would make a great side for a roast dinner of some sort; I’m sure in my former life I would’ve loved them alongside a chicken. As it stands, Andrew and I enjoyed these for lunch with some cheesy scrambled eggs and a slice of toast. (It may seem strange, but the sharpness of the cheddar was the perfect counterpoint to the maple syrup.)
So, am I in the festive mood now? Well, not really- but at least I’m one meal closer.
Maple Roasted Parsnips, Carrots and Shallots
serves 4 as a side, 2 as a meal.
- 4 parsnips
- 3 carrots
- 4 shallots
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary leaves picked
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- good pinch of sea salt
- 2 Tbs. maple syrup
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Scrub or peel the parsnips and carrots (I peel rather than wash, as I’m very lazy and find it easier), then quarter lengthwise and cut into 2″ lengths. Peel the shallots and quarter lengthwise.
- Throw the veg into a shallow baking dish and scatter the rosemary over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then pour over the maple syrup and toss to coat. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Cool for 3-5 minutes, then serve.
We spent a Christmas in London and I actually loved it. As an American, it was fun for me to see even more excitement around the holiday than at home. I particularly loved the food emphasis and not so much focus on gifts. I realized that without a Thanksgiving, the Brits give a lot of thought to the big meal of the year. I hope you have a happy one! Are you going to Cornwall?
yum looks so good! I have been thinking about making something like this is smaller cubes, but your long slices look so rustic… just lovely.
Dana- I wish! Cornwall is my very favourite part of England. We’ll actually be in a lovely small town on the Thames Estuary in Essex, so not that far away.
It’s interesting that you found Christmas was bigger here- I suppose that in the States, Thanksgiving trumps everything else? Canuck Thanksgiving isn’t really a huge deal, so I’m very used to Christmas being “the” holiday of the year. And yes, I do appreciate the emphasis on food here!
Sara- Thanks! I considered cubes but had similar thoughts to you as I was in mid-slice. I’m pleased I left them like this.
Lovely! I was just looking for a good Christmas trimmings recipe and I think this one will definitely be a winner. The overall presentation of your blog is really stunning, I like the clean lines and light design.
Neha- Thank you so much! I will pass the compliment along to my boyfriend- he’s responsible for most of the design around here 🙂
Heading to your blog right now!