A root vegetable that grows wild in Europe and West Asia, the parsnip has been cultivated since ancient times. Its early history is cloudy because writers didn't always distinguish it from the carrot -- understandable because they are closely related and parsnips look pretty much like beige carrots with really wide shoulders.

We do know they were loved in classical Rome, and Emperor Tiberius was picky about parsnips. He had wild ones imported from the banks of the Rhine, a potentially hazardous enterprise, because they're often mistaken for water hemlock, the source of the poison that reputedly had brought down Socrates four centuries earlier.

Parsnips were of supreme importance in the medieval European kitchen. Sugar was a rare, imported luxury, and honey could be expensive. The potato had yet to make its pilgrimage from America, so the sweet, starchy parsnip did double duty. Besides serving as a vegetable, parsnips could be used to sweeten and thicken puddings.

When sugar became cheap in Europe, the parsnip's popularity waned. A pity, because this versatile vegetable is great in soups and stews. You can boil and mash them like potatoes or roast them to bring out their nutty sweetness. Choose parsnips that are firm. Trim the ends and peel just before using. If they're particularly large, they can develop a tough central core that's best removed before cooking.

VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

The meat and onions are simmered very gently in a tightly covered pan to extract all the juices before the other liquids and vegetables are added to the pot. This concentrates the meat flavor and adds a rich color to the broth without having to brown the meat first.

2 tablespoons butter

3 pounds meaty beef shanks or bone-in chuck roast

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

2 bay leaves

2 large sprigs each fresh parsley, thyme and oregano, chopped

10 cups water

2 cups canned tomato puree

3 large celery stalks, peeled and diced

3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 medium turnips, peeled and diced

3 medium parsnips, peeled and diced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 small green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced into 1-inch strips (about 3 cups)

Melt butter in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-low heat. Add beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter onion evenly over top. Add bay leaves and chopped herbs. Cover tightly. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 2 hours. Add water and tomato puree. Increase heat to medium, and return to a simmer, skimming off any scum that rises. Add celery, carrots, turnips, parsnips and cabbage. Return to a simmer and cook, over medium-low heat, until meat and vegetables are very tender, about 2 hours.

Remove meat and cool slightly. Cut into bite-size pieces. Cover and refrigerate until just before finishing the soup. Let soup cool slightly; skim off excess fat from top of broth.

When ready to serve, return meat to the pot, and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated, 5 to 10 minutes.

-- Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler

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