Parsnip Soup with White Truffles

My beloved parsnip, with its semisweet flavor that seems to confuse most palates, is not loved by all. The ancient Romans liked them a lot, and then no one else, until the English. The Romans would have served this soup with a huge hunk of foie gras (from geese fed on figs) in the center.

Parsnips are great peeled and roasted with cumin and lots of black pepper as an accompaniment to any kind of fresh pork. Covered with lime juice and chilies and then baked, they are perfect with ro