It's All About Me......

I am in a position to confirm rumours that I did have a "significant" birthday last week and can now boast of having reached the milestone (millstone) of 50. I had hoped that this date, and day, may have slipped by unnoticed but it seems as though it was entered in a number of dairies as I was frequently reminded in the weeks and days immediately prior!! Needless to say a minor celebration took place which I survived and after nearly a week I am able to reflect being 50 is not as bad as I thought.

It may appear to some readers that I undertake most of my cognitive processes within the confines of Pak 'n' Save and indeed this has in itself given me pause for thought, but I digress, standing in the produce section I was pondering the decline of the humble parsnip. Why is it that the current consumer appears to hold the parsnip in such aversion such that its self space and quantity has diminished, its price correspondingly increased, it has disappeared from menus and is distainfully pushed to the side of their plates by my children (let's be honest my daughter won't even put it on hers!).

To my mind there are few, if any, vegetables that roast better than parsnips, mashed carrots and parsnips were a frequent visitor to my dinner plate as I was growing up and I am particularly fond of parsnip soup - I may lead a movement to bring back the parsnip!! I then got to thinking whatever happened to marrow - the bane of my childhood- it was the worst part of any roast meal and one which I have not inflicted on my children. Do people still grow let alone eat marrow (I trust not) and if so where are they?

Cogitating further I then undertook a bit of a reconnaissance to ascertain the whereabouts of those delicacies of youth (so said my mother) of white turnips, swedes, brussell sprouts, broad beans and cabbage simply for the joy of looking at them and then critically deciding that "No I didn't have to or want to purchase or eat you!!" and then being able to walk away without threats of dire punishment. To my mind the younger generation do not know how lucky they are with new "greens" such as zucchini and courgettes. My vegetable odyssey ended as I moved into the "aisle of savings" by the butchery trying to rationalise why a head of cauliflower costs twice as much as broccoli? (such a sad life for one so young!! - Ed).