On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:46:00 -0800, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>The entry in Wikipedia described them as like broccoli
>stems, only better. That thought sort of ate at me
>until I decided I had to try it. I was looking for
>a substitute for the potatoes I fry up with the Bavarian
>bratwurst from Trader Joe's.
>
>While I was at it, I thought I'd try a few other
>vegetables that I hadn't bought before, parsnips
>and acorn squash. (Actually, I think I may have
>bought a small parsnips once to bait a trap, but
>I don't remember eating any of it.)
>
>I peeled everything and cut into about 3/4 inch cubes.
>Then I pan-fried them at moderate heat with the sausages.
>
>Am I the only person who thinks parsnips taste like dirt?
>They taste a little better if they are fried until they
>start to brown.
>
>I wasn't impressed with the kohlrabi. I still have a
>couple left I might try in soup. They have a rather
>firm texture, and I didn't notice a lot of flavor.
>I'd rather have broccoli stems.
>
>The acorn squash wasn't bad at all. Nice texture and
>flavor. Except for zucchini, I've pretty much ignored
>squash. I think I'll use squash alone with the sausages
>next time, but after that I'm back to potatoes.
>
>I've used both celeriac and lotus root in soups.
>I might consider one of those with the sausages.
>More likely celeriac.
>
>What vegetables might I have missed? Something that
>would be good with fried sausages. Chinese eggplant,
>maybe, though that would tend to be mushy unless they got
>a very quick fry. I don't eat beans, so those are out.
>
>One of my objections to potatoes is they have a strong
>tendency to stick to even a well-seasoned pan. The
>simplest method seems to be to give them a quick fry
>at moderate-high heat with constant agitation, followed
>by letting them sit in the pan at moderate-low heat to
>brown. The quick, hot fry seems to modify the surface
>of the potatoes so they don't stick so readily.

Myself, I wouldn't fry any of them. I don't see any of them as
substitutes for fried potatoes. The parsnips and squash have a
sweetness to them that potatoes don't.

Parsnips are similar to carrots - I like them.

Rutabegas and turnips are sometimes suggested as subs for potatoes -
but for roasting, or steaming/boiling then mashing (I did a very nice
mashed root veg last week with parsnips, turnips, rutabegas, and
potatoes).

As Brooklyn1 said, cutting the squash in half, stuffing with a sausage
mixture and baking might be good. A tiny bit of cinnamon or allspice
in the stuffing mix would compliment the squash.

Good luck! Hope you find something that works for you.

- Mark