Russian Carrot & Parsnip Salad

This carrot and parsnip salad is one that would make a regular appearance on our family table when I was growing up. A favourite of mine as a young girl, I saw it often on the zakouska table alongside Poor Man’s Caviar that my mother would prepare for guests. Family friends would sip vodka as they nibbled their way through one of my mother’s famous appetiser spreads whilst chatting and laughing on a Saturday evening in our living room which incidentally, was only ever used when people came over.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons macadamia oil
• 1 medium brown onion, chopped finely
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1cm (half inch) pieces
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and also chopped into 1cm (half inch) pieces
• 1 small green capsicum (pepper) chopped into 1cm (half inch pieces)
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley or dill chopped finely (optional)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large heavy based fry pan and cook the onions, garlic, carrots and bay leaves for ten minutes. The carrots will start to soften and the onion will turn opaque. Add the parsnip and capsicum and cook a further fifteen minutes stirring regularly to ensure even cooking.
2. Add the stock, tomato paste, cloves, salt and pepper and stir to mix through. You will need to cook at least another twenty minutes until the salad has cooked down in size and the carrot is no longer raw-tasting. Do not over-cook as the parsnip will get mushy and start to coat the carrot.
3. Let salad cool before serving and scatter flat leaf parsley or dill over. Best served a few hours after cooking.

Source:

http://tanyazouev.com/the-zakuska-table-russian-carrot-parsnip-salad/