Gardening season seems like as good a season as any to resume blogging, and gardens typically offer some rich ground for unexpected stories.
So, I'm in the garden pulling up the parsley from last year (because it's growing all over the place) and, upon noticing the impressive size of the roots, I think to myself:
"Self, these roots might do something good. Consult the oracle."
I even tell the Big Guy who says "because I remember and know what they're called in Danish, definitely."
This is always a good sign that something is worthy, because Danes are very frugal with naming things or just talking in general. They don't as much have "lawn mowers" as they have "grass cutting machines" which led me to find out why.
Evidently "lawns" are for rich people who need to see their enemies coming from a distance away.
Most people in the Old Ways would just have gardens and then fields for the livestock. No wasted space. Actually, that's still the way it's done. Most of the time.
But I digress.
I look up "parsley root" and evidently, they are a huge source of nutrition.
"Great!" I say. And then comes the attempt to cut them.
Uh.
They have centers of a hardness similar to an oak tree.
Olive oil and garlic. What could possibly go wrong?
They taste like Styrofoam. Even sauteed in olive oil with garlic. Teeny Tiny strands sauteed ... as per the cooking oracle.
So then I boiled small pieces. As per the cooking oracle. That tiny bit in the image is still boiling nearly 45 minutes later, and they're finally getting soft. On the outside. The inner core of these should be used to keep the space shuttle intact.
45 minutes later...
In fact, I'd venture they are more suited to weaving sturdy baskets than for eating.
I'm dehydrating the rest.
To hell with the cooking Styrofoam.
Postscript: After 24 hours in the dehydrator, I ran the dried pieces first through my Ninja chopper, then through my small Magic Bullet blender.
They resisted bravely for a while, but the end result was a very fragrant pale powder that will make outstanding seasoning for winter stews!
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