To sum things up, the aroma of cow parsnip seeds from what I’ve learned, is only soluble in a juicy, wet medium. I’ve really loved infusing it into fruit jams, pickles, and sauces, custards. I’ve only been working with the seeds for a couple months though, so chime in with some ways you’ve cooked it if you feel like sharing, by all means.

With the strong scent of lime the cow parsnip seeds have, I thought they might be good cooked up with some green tomatoes, so I chopped up a few green tomatoes and made a little jam out of them,  throwing the seeds into the tomato mixture and letting it cook down with sugar and ginger. After a while, I went back to check on the pot and stuck my face into the steam, the scent of lime mingling with green tomatoes, ginger was intoxicating. After that a quick trip to the high-speed blender and mesh strainer made a wicked jam for cheese plates, pork chops or poultry.

I like to usually give one recipe, but the combination with green tomatoes here is so good that I made three different variations from the same starting weight of green tomatoes to show some possibilities. One is a salsa, one a chunky chutney for a cheese plate or on top of a curry, and my favorite is a sweet-tart jam I’ve been serving with chicken and pork. It’s been a hit with crunchy fried chicken livers at the restaurant lately.

Whatever version you try your hand at, or if you just make your own up, one things for sure: you’ll love the lime-y zing of cow parsnip seeds.

Green Tomato Parsnip Seed Jam

Yield: roughly 3 cups

Ingredients

• 4 lbs ripe green tomatoes, washed, cored and chopped roughly
• 1/4 cup cow parsnip seeds
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 cup sugar
• Kosher salt, to taste

Method

Combine all ingredients in a wide pot like a 10 inch brazier or stock pot. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pan is nearly dry, roughly 1 hour. Transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender and puree using the accelerator attachment until you get a velvety smooth puree, if you have to, add a little hot water to make it smooth and help the blade catch, you can always cook the water off slowly in a wide pan or add some pectin to thicken it if it’s too loose. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or chinois, transfer to a labeled, dated container and refrigerate until needed.

Green Tomato-Parsnip Seed Chutney

Yield: roughly 5 cups

Ingredients

• 5 lbs very firm green tomatoes, washed, cored, and diced ½ inch
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup ginger, diced 1/8 inch
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup garlic scapes or green onion sliced ¼ inch (if using green onion stir them in at the end)
• ¼ cup dried cow parsnip seeds
• 2 tablespoons toasted yellow mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon whole toasted cumin seed

Method

Combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer until the pan is nearly dry, then transfer to a shallow container and spread flat to cool. Pack the mixture into a labeled, dated container and reserve until needed.

Green Tomato-Parsnip Seed Salsa Verde

Some people like a looser salsa verde, some like it thicker, the choice is yours. The consistency can be adjusted by cooking down the tomatoes and their liquid more or less, depending on what you want.

Yield: roughly 5 cups

Ingredients

• 5 lbs green tomatoes, cored
•  1 jalapeno
• 1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves finely chopped
• 2 cloves of fresh garlic, roughly chopped
• Fresh lime juice, to taste (I used 2 limes)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup cow parsnip seeds, ground and sifter to remove fibers
• 1/4 cup flavorless, high heat cooking oil

Method

Pre-heat an oven to 400. Toss the tomatoes with the oil, then place on a baking tray and cook until the skins start to blacken and char, roughly 30-45 minutes. The more char, the deeper the flavor.

Remove the charred tomatoes from the oven, chop roughly and combine with the garlic and parsnip seeds in a pan and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender and puree on low, just until the mixture is thick and pureed, but still a little chunky like salsa. Double check the seasoning and adjust as needed, then remove the puree to a bowl, season to taste with the lime juice, add the chopped cilantro, transfer to a labeled, dated container and refrigerate until needed.