Carrots, Parsnips & Fennel

Carrots are one of the most popular root vegetables in the UK and are native to Europe and South-west Asia. They can be yellow/white, purple and red, but are most commonly orange. Carrots are firm and crunchy when eaten raw and soften when cooked. Orange and red carrots are earthy and sweet, purple types are sweet, but have a more peppery/ woody taste and yellow are the sweetest and least earthy in flavour.

Parsnips are a winter root vegetable that are members of the parsley family. They originate from Eurasia and look like white carrots due to their shape and cream-colour; they are also a similar texture both raw and cooked. Parsnips are often prepared in batons, quartered and diced and are typically cooked by roasting, steaming, boiling or frying. They are sweet, earthy and nutty with a firm, starchy texture and pair particularly well with more savoury root vegetables. Our parsnips are sourced from Yorkshire.

Fennel is a root vegetable with a white bulb and stalks topped with feathery green leaves. It is heavily used in Italian cuisine and is in-season year round, but is best from June to late September. Its taste is similar to anise, but less overpowering and when cooked, it becomes more mellow and sweet. Fennel is firm and crunchy, yet plants with smaller bulbs are less mature and therefore more tender.