SC - Skirrets (was Gunther's Mashed Carrots and Parsnips)

[david friedman]

Aoife quotes a recipe from Martha Washington's cookbook for "a Tart of
Parsneps and Scyrrets" and says of the redaction she gives:

>It features carrots in place of scyrrets
>(a white, sweet, carrot-type vegetable) , and parsnips...

and again:

>We chose carrots for flavor and color, Scyrets (a white root resembling the
>shape and flavor of carrots) not being available. Besides, that makes the
>tarte red and white!

We have never been able to find skirrets. According to the Oxford English
Dictionary they are "a species of water parsnip, formerly much cultivated
in Europe for its esculent tubers." Have you ever tasted them? Or do you
know where one can find them or get more information on them? We have a
recipe for turnip potage which says you can also make it with "pastunakes
and skyrwittes", pasternakes being a general term for carrots or parsnips,
and I would like to try it with the skirrets if I can ever get some.

Elizabeth/Betty Cook (about a week behind on the list)


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