Gjelina's Roasted Parsnips w/ Hazelnut Picada

Oh wow, that's all I have to say about this dish.

This is probably the most delicious vegetable side dish I have ever tried.

I finally opened the new Gjelina cookbook, and it is beautiful. Tons of beautiful vegetables and grain dishes to wow me.

I wish I had received this cookbook before Thanksgiving, because I would have served these gorgeous 'snips during the holidays. This will be my go to vegetable side from now on.

You know how I feel about parsnips.
J'adore.

They are big, spicy white carrot things, and the smell is intoxicating when you peel them.

So of course, to christen the book, I started with this simple parsnip dish with hazelnut picada.
Think breadcrumbs and nuts, like a pangrattato (as if we all know what picada and pangrattato is!).

I took some shortcuts, because the long version seemed silly.
Instead of pan roasting the parsnips, then finishing in oven, I just roasted them, and they came out caramelized and beautiful.

And instead of making a garlic confit, I just grated a tiny clove of garlic into some olive oil.

*You can make garlic croutons by toasting up some bread slices, mixed w/ dried herbs, garlic powder and olive oil. It really works. You can even make them in the toaster oven.
That is usually how I make my garlic croutons for my Caesar salad. You crush them with a rolling in, or back of a drinking glass, and they make a fantastic dried bread crumb.

Let's begin, shall we?

Roasted Parsnips from Gjelina w/ Hazelnut Picada: (adapted from the Gjelina Cookbook)

1 lb. (I used more than that, I used about 8), medium sized parsnips, peeled and cut into French fry size
olive oil
kosher salt
juice of half a lemon

For the picada:

1/2 cup of hazelnuts, toasted, and coarsely chopped
big handful of crumbled garlic croutons (*see my note up top)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
1 very small garlic clove, grated on a zester
black pepper

Lay your cut up parsnips on a baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil and season with kosher salt.

Roast in a 400F oven for 15 minutes. Make sure they are not burning.
Turn them over with a spatula to brown the other side, about another 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your parsnips.
Thin slices cook VERY quickly, so keep an eye on them at all times.

While the parsnips are roasting, make the picada.

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix together. If it seems dry, add a little bit more olive oil.
Season with a pinch of sea salt & black pepper. Set aside.

When the parsnips are done, transfer them to a bowl.

Spoon on the picada and squeeze w/ the fresh lemon juice.

Serve immediately.

I could eat the whole bowl!