Home grown parsnips and soup

We built a small vegetable patch in the garden this spring, but hadn't expected to gain much produce in the first year. It rained so much, we started later than planned, so seed sowing was somewhat delayed. Plus we didn't know what would be a success, and what would not.
Gardening organically is always a challenge but pests haven't been too difficult to manage, apart from the slugs and snails. They munched their way through all my courgette, pumpkin and broccoli like there's no tomorrow and so we didn't actually get any success with these. Others, though, have been great - my french beans in the summer were outstanding, the leeks full flavoured and the chard fabulously rich, despite an initial slug onslaught.

But one crop is proving to be a real success - parsnips. Supposedly quite difficult to cultivate at times, the seeds were planted when the ground was warming up, and have grown beyond expectations. Traditionally, you're supposed to harvest parsnips after the first frost, as the cold changes the carbohydrate content, making them sweeter and more flavoursome. Having been up at stupid-o'clock on Thursday morning and experienced freezing temperatures, I decided it was time to harvest a few parsnips to sample the fruits (or veg!) of my labour.
There is something truly wonderful about eating food that you have grown yourself; not only do you know exactly where they've been grown and what chemicals may or may not be on them, but the effort you put in to them seems to increase the eating experience - they have an enhanced value when they're your own. And the flavour is always great, as fresh as you can get.
And these parsnips did not disappoint - deeply flavoured, sweet and full of goodness. As soon as my daughter saw the bunch, she delightedly asked if I was making parsnip soup, which of course I was. Funny what gets my kids excited!
Nutritionally, some may view parsnips as being to high in carbohydrate, especially sugars. The sugar content is higher than other veg, that's true, but it's complex sugars combined with lots of fibre so that's actually the good stuff. Plus they're packed full of phytonutrients and antioxidants that actually help protect your body against nasty free radicals. They also have great amounts of potassium, calcium, manganese as well as B vitamins and vitamin E. So not only do they taste good, they good for your body too.
Parsnip soup has to be one the the quickest and easiest soups to make, great if you want a speedy lunch.     Why not give it a go - delightfully creamy, deeply flavoured and deliciously dairy free!
Spicy parsnip soup

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium sized leek, chopped
550g (or so) parsnips
1 tablespoon curry powder
up to 1 litre vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Wash the parsnips and peel if you have to (sometimes its difficult to get all the mud off, plus if they're not organic you want to try and get rid of some of the chemical residue). Gently heat the oil in a large pan and sauté the leek and parsnip until they start to soften. Add the curry powder and coat well, then pour in the vegetable stock until the veg are just covered - don't use it all for now, you can always add more later, that way you get to control thickness and consistency. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat, pop on the lid and simmer for about 10 minutes until the parsnips are soft. Season and taste, then blitz, adding more stock if you need to thin the soup a bit. Serve with coriander or a swirl of dairy free yoghurt and enjoy - it's makes wet autumn days worth having!

Is the white stuff the right stuff?

It's funny how what may seem to be a major problem or crisis can actually turn out to be the best thing that could have happened. We certainly grow as individuals and gain much. When I discovered that I had a sensitivity to dairy, I was gutted; all my favourite creamy cakes, desserts and cheese were suddenly off the menu. Major changes to the way I view and ate food were on the way, and looking back now, I am so thankful as it has not only helped me to feel so much better health wise, but it's also revolutionised my way of thinking and opened up a whole new adventure - The Sensitive Foodie Kitchen.

All my life I was told, and am still told, that dairy is good for me, and a vital part of a healthy diet. People are still aghast that I have eradicated it from my diet - how do I manage? Dairy is an integral part of our societal psyche - it's hard to break free from the norms. So really, that is why I am grateful for my sensitivity; it's enabled me to make a massive change for the better and been my excuse for being different. And when it's hard to resist a slice of gorgeous looking creamy chocolate cake, I no longer feel deprived knowing that it will make me feel so ill it's not worth it. Plus I know how to make a great alternative myself!
There has been lots of research about the dangers of dairy in our diets, how it contributes towards obesity, diabetes, allergies, osteoporosis, cancer - the list goes on. But even when the research is on a huge scale, some how the health and food industry manage to dispute or deny it, and so milk is still promoted as healthy product that should be consumed in large amounts.
The latest piece of research published last month in the British Medical Journal* seems to be finally bringing the message home - a study in Northern Europe that involved over 115,000 people concluded that those who consumed large amounts of milk (about a pint a day) had an increased risk of bone fractures and death. Women in particular, who are encouraged to consume more milk for healthy bones, have a 60% increased risk of hip fractures. For every glass of milk consumed, the risk of dying from heart disease increased by 15% and cancer by 7% and those who had 3 glasses a day or more, compared with just one glass, had a whopping 93% increased risk of dying. That's huge! So who says milk is good for you now?
The truth is we just don't need dairy in our diet - cow's milk is for calves, goats milk for kids (not human ones!) and human breast milk for babies. It's packed full of all the nutrients, protein and growth factors that a baby animal needs to do the fastest growth and development it's ever going to have to do

in it's life. If we were supposed to consume milk as adults, we would have evolved differently - maybe more like David Walliams character Harvey who wants 'bitty'…….?
No-one in my house drinks dairy now - not that I've forced them to either! My son's life long eczema and asthma have practically gone since eradicating dairy from his diet (plus teenage acne is much better!); my daughter's joint pains have massively improved (dairy is inflammatory) and finally my husband continues to lose weight dairy free and plant based.
Change is hard, but good things are worth making the effort for. And the more people who go dairy free, to more it becomes mainstream. So why not give it a go, and give your body a break - it will thank you for it in the long run!  And if you're not sure where to start, The Sensitive Foodie Kitchen is here to help. Come along to a dairy free cooking demo, or look out for my on-line support course coming soon.

*Michaëlsson  K, Wolk  A, Langenskiöld  S, et al. Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies. BMJ. 2014;349:g6015.