About the Harvest
Parsnips:
Sweet potatoes are estimated to have been domesticated in Peru between 4,000-5,000 years ago, while other research
Parsnips are a nutty, sweet, hearty root vegetable that grows best in cold climates.
They are native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia and were widely cultivated by the Greeks and Romans. They resemble carrots but are white or yellowish in color. Parsnips are a close relative to parsley.
Parsnips are harvested in late fall or early winter and stored in root cellars. Alternatively, they can be left in the ground and harvested in early spring, a process called overwintering. The cold temperatures turn the starch in parsnips into sugar. Early colonial gardens contained parsnips because they store well and were a welcome vegetable in the spring.
Parsnips are an excellent source of vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium. They are also high in fiber and are sweeter when cooked.
Beans, Pulses, & Legumes:
Legumes are the family that include all beans and pulses. A legume includes the whole plant, but we typically only eat the beans and pulses. Pulses are the dried seeds like lentils and split peas. Beans include green beans, black beans, adzuki beans, fresh peas, fava beans etc.
The word pulse comes from the Latin puls, which means seeds that can be made into a thick soup.
Pulses, unlike some beans including peanuts and soybeans, are low in fat, and high in protein. They are an affordable source of protein too.