TURNIPS WITH CREAM SAUCE.—­Wash and pare the turnips, cut them into half-inch dice, and cook in boiling water until tender.  Meanwhile prepare a cream sauce as directed for Scalloped Turnips, using thin cream in place of milk.  Drain the turnips, pour the cream sauce over them, let them boil up once, and serve.

PARSNIPS.

DESCRIPTION.—­The common garden parsnip is derived by cultivation from the wild parsnip, indigenous to many parts of Europe and the north of Asia, and cultivated since Roman times.  It is not only used for culinary purposes, but a wine is made from it.  In the north of Ireland a table beer is brewed from its fermented product and hops.

The percentage of nutritive elements contained in the parsnip is very small; so small, indeed, that one pound of parsnips affords hardly one fifth of an ounce of nitrogenous or muscle-forming material.  The time required for its digestion, varies from two and one half to three and one half hours.

PREPARATION AND COOKING.—­Wash and trim off any rough portions:  scrape well with a knife to remove the skins, and drop at once into cold water to prevent discoloration.  If the parsnips are smooth-skinned, fresh, and too small to need dividing, they need only be washed thoroughly before cooking, as the skins can be easily removed by rubbing with a clean towel.  Reject those that are wilted, pithy, coarse, or stringy.  Large parsnips should be divided, for if cooked whole, the outside is likely to become soft before the center is tender.  They may be either split lengthwise or sliced.  Parsnips may be boiled, baked, or steamed; but like all other vegetables containing a large percentage of water, are preferable steamed or baked.

The time required for cooking young parsnips, is about forty-five minutes; when old, they require from one to two hours.

RECIPES.

BAKED PARSNIPS.—­Wash, thoroughly, but do not scrape the roots; bake the same as potatoes.  When tender, remove the skins, slice, and serve with cream or an egg sauce prepared as directed for Parsnips with Egg Sauce.  They are also very nice mashed and seasoned with cream.  Baked and steamed parsnips are far sweeter than boiled ones.

BAKED PARSNIPS NO. 2.—­Wash, scrape, and divide; drop into boiling water, a little more than sufficient to cook them, and boil gently till thoroughly tender.  There should remain about one half pint of the liquor when the parsnips are done.  Arrange on an earthen plate or shallow pudding dish, not more than one layer deep; cover with the juice, and bake, basting frequently until the juice is all absorbed, and the parsnips delicately browned.  Serve at once.

BOILED PARSNIPS.—­Clean, scrape, drop into a small quantity of boiling water, and cook until they can be easily pierced, with a fork.  Drain thoroughly, cut the parsnips in slices, and mash or serve with a white sauce, to which a little lemon juice may be added if desired.