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Spiced Roast Parsnip Chunks With Coriander Chutney

‘Never dig parsnips until there’s been a good hard ground frost.’ That emphatic statement was instilled in me as a child by my grandfather and I now know he was right. Frost quite definitely sharpens up all the lovely fragrance and flavour of parsnips. During the long winter months – when little else but stored roots are available on the kitchen garden front – what we need is lots of variety in the way we cook them. Soup is an obvious one, and adding curry flavour always complements the sweetness of the parsnips. This one’s a winner, too, adopting the same idea – lovely to serve as a starter preceding a curry or alongside it as an accompaniment.