Has anyone any ideas how to get hold of some parsnips?

I live close to Fribourg.

I have promised a traditional Xmas lunch to my in-laws - would be disappointing to miss the best of the roasted veggies....

Thanks

I have seen them in both Coop and Migros (larger stores). The German name is Pastinaken.

Good luck

Une rave in French. You indeed normally find them in coop and Migros. Otherwise a market would certainly have some.

Le Panais in French - according to the Le Shop website. Don't get the other things they sell on the markets that look just like parsnips. They are a type of parsley root, and although from the same family as parsnip, are way too strong to eat in the traditional roasted style.

Try the bigger stores and they're often a bit on the small side and a bit flaccid, but they do taste good. I have to drive a bit to the larger stores whenever I want them which is a bit of a bummer, but I'm a big fan of them, too, so take heart that they can be found.

Struggled to find them, this year they seem to be in abundance!! Co op in the Bio section have some nice big juicy ones!

Never seen 'panais' here in CH before. Recently there has been a few articles on traditional old fashioned/medieval veggies in some of the magazines, and all of a sudden they are everywhere. The power of the press again. Now mine are still in the earth in the garden, covered by glass, ready to pull up for the family Christmas dinner. Hurray.

Edit on 17th- my parsnips woke up under 30cm of snow (with a plastic protective cover in between them and snow- it will be fund digging them out. Might have to get some at HyperU in Pontus on Monday, to be on the safe side.

If all else fails, try two different types of potatoes and explain that one of them is "Swiss parsnip" flavored.

Alternatively tell them Odile was providing but the ground is now frozen (we hope!!) and they will have to wait 'til next year. Mine are coming along nicely

'Panais' is indeed around here this area. Our local farmer sells it, along with the other parsley root. Have seen it at other farm stands as well as in the farmer's market. Nothing in Coop/Migro though.

You definitely find them easily at the market in Lausanne (Saturday morning). I sometimes see some at Coop.

I thought they simply were an other variety of carrots, so imagine my surprise at the strong taste when I cooked them

You can get them quite easily around here too. The farm shop has them and so do Manor, Migros and COOP (Marin and Maladiere respectively - maybe not in the smaller ones). Home grown are still better though especially if they've been subjected to a hard frost.

Migros definitely have them - even in the small one I use, plus the one I used to shop at previously, on the lumpy side of Fribourg. They're sourced (relatively) locally - from around Kerzers, I think.

They look a bit wrinkled and "organic" (i.e old), but that's because they're not so widely known and used here, so probably sit on the shelf a bit longer, and aren't overstocked, so availability may be sporadic, but once the skin is peeled, then they're fine and taste .... well .... like parsnips, really.

But don't confuse them with similar looking "yellow carrots", which aren't anywhere near as good.

I pop accross to carrefour they normally have these and sweet potatos some of hem do look a bit hard done by but i love honey roasted parsnips

To be safe, and less trouble, you can order them from any green grocer on a street market.

Got some this morning in our local(small) Migros. yum yum

I'm hoping to dig up mine this week from our Familiengartenverein or when we return from UK after Xmas. Would offer one to you but wife would kill me and I'm not joking!!

I'm thinking of getting a garden - could you tell me exactly where yours is please?

Mine woke up under 30cm of snow, a bit more by now (with insulation sheeting in between) - still snowing so it will be fun digging them up - IF I can find them.

Garden is in Kaiseraugst - wife just saw a notice saying they had spare spots. Do a little tour around where you live and see what you can find