The Starry Night is an oil on canvas by the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Painted in June 1889, it depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, just before sunrise, with the addition of an idealized village. It has been in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City since 1941, acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest. It is regarded as among Van Gogh’s finest works and is one of the most recognized paintings in the history of Western culture.

Once the new year rolled around and I was recovering from the holiday bombasity, I felt myself longing to be in the kitchen each and every moment, but also in a bit of a dry spell creatively.

We devised  new plan of action for me – a new method of inspiration: famous paintings.

Thus, the first, most obvious choice was Van Gough’s Starry Night. I had many more ideas floating around, but this is what the end result came to be. Can you guess what’s up next on my docket?

Starry Night – Lemon Parsnips & Blackberry Jalapeño Salsa

2 medium parsnips, peeled and finely shredded
4 Tbs. butter
sea salt and pepper
2 Tbs. Preserved Lemons, sliced

6 oz. fresh blackberries
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbs. Preserved Lemons, sliced
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the parsnips, butter, and salt and pepper in an oven safe dish. Bake, covered, for about 30 minutes, until soft. Remove from the oven, stir well and add in the Preserved Lemon slices.

Meanwhile, toss together the blackberries, jalapeño, remaining Preserved Lemons, oil, sugar, and additional salt and pepper.

Serve the salsa atop the warm parsnips, alongside lemon baked chicken, if you desire.

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