An ode to the humble parsnip

Also: My mother never stopped loving the world [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  May 12, 2024 Dear Cog reader, I haven't always been a fan of parsnips. They’re not as pretty as carrots, trickier to cook than sweet potatoes — the bummer of every spring farm share box. Or so I thought. Then I met [Ana Sortun]( the award-winning chef and proprietor of three establishments that always find their way onto Boston’s "best of" lists: Oleana, Sarma and Sofra Bakery. Ana taught me parsnips are one of New England’s first spring crops. Because they stay in the ground during the cold winter months (farmers call this "overwintering"), the sugars intensify, making our parsnips incredibly sweet. That means our region's crop is among the best in the world. I also learned that this sturdy root vegetable has complex flavors and dimensions worthy of a braise. (Ana thinks they are destined to have their moment as the next big vegetable — move over, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.) I know what you’re thinking: Of all the things to discuss with Ana, why talk about the humble parsnip? Why not chat with her about being a successful woman in a male-dominated industry? Or her favorite restaurants? Or her thoughts on the state of fusion cooking today? In short, because I wanted to hear her ideas about something much simpler than that. I wanted to understand how she thinks about the idea of "home." (After all, she's one of the featured guests at our May 30 CitySpace event on the topic. Shameless plug: get your tickets [here]( Ana has lived in Boston for more than 30 years, but she's originally from Seattle, a place so rich with Dungeness crab that they make crab melts (instead of tuna melts). She grew up on her mother’s baking and her grandmother’s scratch cooking (think homemade bread and butter). The food of her childhood bears little resemblance to the spice-rich, vegetable-forward Middle Eastern dishes she’s known for today. How’d she come so far? The answer is serendipity. Ana was working at the since-closed, longtime Harvard Square haunt Casablanca, when a customer invited her to Turkey, to learn about the culture and food. That two-week trip changed her life. She was immediately enamored with the flavors, the presence of so many vegetables and the dining experience of eating many plates — mezze style — and never feeling heavy or full. Ana’s husband, Chris Kurth, owns [Siena Farms]( Sudbury. Named after their daughter, the farm supplies fresh produce to Ana’s restaurants, including parsnips when they’re in season. As part of this project, I spent time in Oleana’s kitchen (where Ana prepared a parsnip skordalia), and we visited Siena Farms to dig up some spring parsnips. I wanted to visit the farm, because I'd come to understand that cooking seasonally is what gives Ana a sense of time and place. On a sunny day in April, we stood in the middle of a parsnip field with Chris, a person she loves, on the land that feeds her mission to marry Middle Eastern flavors with New England ingredients. That day, I asked Ana what about the setting makes her feel at home. Her answer: “When I'm walking on this land, I can get a vibe for the soil health, but I'm also looking at the food that's coming up ... To me, home is about being deeply connected to a sense of place. So, being really connected to land, through food, makes sense in my heart.” You can read much more about [Ana’s experience and philosophy here]( and even [watch her make that tasty parsnip skordalia]( Finally, did Ana get me to appreciate the parsnip? Indeed. I’ve been experimenting. A couple of weeks ago, I chopped a handful into chunks, doused them in olive oil, sprinkled them with spices (cumin, salt, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, thyme) and roasted them at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. Delicious. P.S.— We’ve published some memorable essays over the years about people’s relationships with their mothers, including [one this week by Julie Wittes Schlack](. With that in mind, we’re sharing some of our favorites from the archives below. We know Mother’s Day can be complicated — it’s not all flowers and Belgian waffles — but we want to acknowledge all the moms, step-moms, stand-in moms, special aunties and caregivers getting a little extra love this weekend. Cloe Axelson Senior Editor, Cognoscenti  Must Reads [Ana Sortun: Food that makes sense in my heart]( I love when people feel good after they've eaten — even if they've eaten quite a bit, says chef Ana Sortun. That to me, is great cooking. [Read more.]( [Ana Sortun: Food that makes sense in my heart]( I love when people feel good after they've eaten — even if they've eaten quite a bit, says chef Ana Sortun. That to me, is great cooking. [Read more.]( [My mother never stopped loving the world]( Perhaps what is passed on to and through us after a loved one’s death is the ability to notice, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. [Read more.]( [My mother never stopped loving the world]( Perhaps what is passed on to and through us after a loved one’s death is the ability to notice, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. [Read more.]( [From the archives: I see you, Black mothers. Mother's Day is complicated for me, too]( Ivy Alphonse-Crean writes that the holiday makes her stomach lurch, knowing that “mother” holds so much joy, but also, deep worry and pain. [Read more.]( [From the archives: I see you, Black mothers. Mother's Day is complicated for me, too]( Ivy Alphonse-Crean writes that the holiday makes her stomach lurch, knowing that “mother” holds so much joy, but also, deep worry and pain. [Read more.]( [From the archives: On my first Mother's Day, I'm honoring the profound link between birth and death]( As a cultural anthropologist, Anita Hannig has spent a lot of time thinking about death. It’s easy to think of birth and death as opposites, but they are actually very similar, she writes. They are both sacred transitions from one state of being to another. [Read more.]( [From the archives: On my first Mother's Day, I'm honoring the profound link between birth and death]( As a cultural anthropologist, Anita Hannig has spent a lot of time thinking about death. It’s easy to think of birth and death as opposites, but they are actually very similar, she writes. They are both sacred transitions from one state of being to another. [Read more.]( [From the archives: In Praise Of The Mother’s Day Gifts We’ll Never Actually Use]( Inspired by glossy ads in magazines, Laura Shea Souza once bought her mother a bottle of Estée Lauder’s White Linen. While her mom never actually wore the perfume, she kept the bottle for years. [Read more.]( [From the archives: In Praise Of The Mother’s Day Gifts We’ll Never Actually Use]( Inspired by glossy ads in magazines, Laura Shea Souza once bought her mother a bottle of Estée Lauder’s White Linen. While her mom never actually wore the perfume, she kept the bottle for years. [Read more.]( What We're Reading “The ceremonies not only end something. As the word suggests, they commence something.” “[Columbia canceled its main commencement. Other schools shouldn’t follow its lead]( The Boston Globe. “Nobody comes off well in this trial: not Stormy Daniels, not Michael Cohen, not the craven Trump lawyers and not the prosecutors who elicited the vulgar testimony.” “[In court, Stormy Daniels pulled a Trump on Trump]( The Washington Post. “From the patient side, it can feel like doctors are either expecting too much engagement — Isn’t it your job to know what to do? — or not listening and not taking the patient’s ideas and preferences seriously.” “[When Patients Do Their Own Research]( The Atlantic. "Maybe when I lapse into these metaphysical reveries about souls and reincarnation, I’m really just seeing what is still to be cherished — the dogs and trees and oily puddles that mirror what passes above them in swirling, rich colors — just as my mother did." — Julie Wittes Schlack "[My mother never stopped loving the world]( ICYMI [10 books that remind us there is no singular Asian American experience]( As a kid, writes Kristin T. Lee, the only Asian American literature that crossed her path was stylized and historical. Now she's thrilled to find so many books that go beyond the usual tropes. [Read more.]( [10 books that remind us there is no singular Asian American experience]( As a kid, writes Kristin T. Lee, the only Asian American literature that crossed her path was stylized and historical. Now she's thrilled to find so many books that go beyond the usual tropes. [Read more.]( If you’d like to write for Cognoscenti, send your submission, pasted into your email and not as an attachment, to opinion@wbur.org. Please tell us in one line what the piece is about, and please tell us in one line who you are. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](     Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here.](  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.