Rosemary-Garlic Pork with Roasted Vegetables and Caramelized Apples

Parsnips are something I don't think I've ever had and seem to be a vegetable that pops up in all the recipes I've been seeing lately. I had to do some research to figure out what they would taste like and how to pick them out at the grocery store. They're similar to carrots but have a stronger flavor. The thinner they are the sweeter they are. I picked up a bag of them which looked like this:

I decided to give them a try and figured the best thing to do was find a recipe with a lot of mixed vegetables in case parsnips didn't turn out like I thought they would. Turns out we loved them so next time I'll make them the star of dish. I was also excited for any use I can find that uses my new handy dandy apple core/slicer my mother in law gave me. (Yes I'm a simple girl and doesn't take much to amuse me.)

Rosemary-Garlic Pork with Roasted Vegetables & Caramelized Apples

(Adapted from Southern Living October 2009 magazine)

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium-size sweet onions, quartered
3 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, divided
1 (4-lb.) boneless pork loin roast
Kitchen string
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
6 large garlic bulbs
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Caramelized Apples (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

Sauté vegetables in 3 Tbsp. hot oil in a 7 1/2-qt. roasting pan over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until caramelized. Remove from heat, and stir in 1 Tbsp. rosemary.

Tie pork with kitchen string, securing at 1-inch intervals. Sprinkle pork with remaining 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, and place on top of vegetables in pan. Stir together mustard, chopped garlic, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and remaining 2 Tbsp. rosemary; spread over pork.

Cut off pointed ends of garlic bulbs. Drizzle with remaining 1 tsp. oil. Arrange garlic bulbs, cut sides down, around pork in pan.

Bake at 425° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes.

Transfer pork and vegetables to a serving platter, reserving drippings in pan. Add apple cider vinegar to pan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring often, 3 minutes or until thickened. Pour over vegetables.

Slice pork, and serve with roasted vegetables, garlic bulbs, and Caramelized Apples.

Caramelized Apples

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 Pink Lady apples, quartered
4 Granny Smith apples, quartered
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Rub brown sugar on cut sides of apples; sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper.


Cook apples in hot oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until caramelized and crisp-tender.