This is a good side dish for grilled pork or veal as the sweetness of the parsnips and dates is a good foil to the richness of the meat. And it is an incredibly easy side dish to make which is especially nice when working with pork chops - you can leave the parsnips to get on with cooking on their own while you fiddle around with the meat cooking time!
5 parsnips, peeled and cut into batons shapes
5 dates, chopped as finely as you can
2 tsps walnut oil
Salt and white pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 while you prepare the parsnips and dates.
Place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Drizzle with the oil and salt and pepper generously.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring at the halfway mark.
The dish is ready when the parsnips are soft at the center and the dates and the parsnips' surface are lightly caramelized.