Dick's father, Joseph Goodman, was a physician who started out to be a concert pianist. His love of the piano remained with him all through his life, but the concert pianist became a dermatologist who taught at his alma mater, Harvard Medical School, and who served for many years as Chief of Staff of Framingham Union Hospital in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Another love of his was his vegetable garden, a wonderful affair sprawling near the Sudbury Swamp, home of the world's best wild blueberries, and the pride of his vegetable garden was the lowly parsnip, a root vegetable many scorn. Dad became an advocate for parsnips, collecting recipes for them and sending us packages of parsnips via Federal Express several times a year.

Herewith, then, some recipes from Dad's parsnip collection....

• 2 lbs. parsnips, pared
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. lemon rind
• 1 tsp. ground mace
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 2 tbs. chopped parsley
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbs. milk
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• oil for deep frying
• parsley for garnish

Place parsnips in boiling salted water and cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft. Drain. Place parsnips in a bowl with butter, salt, pepper, lemon rind, and mace. Beat until mixture is the consistency of whipped potatoes. Blend in walnuts, flour, and parsley. Using 1 tbs. of the mixture for each ball, shape in hands, dip in egg, and roll in bread crumbs.

When all have been prepared, fry until golden in oil that has been heated to 350-375 degrees. Serve hot, garnished with parsley.

• 1 lb. parsnips (4 parsnips)
• 1/2 inch boiling water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. crumbled rosemary leaves
• 1/4 cup shortening

Wash, pare, and slice parsnips 1/8-inch thick, lengthwise. Add parsnips to saucepan containing 1/2 inch of boiling water and 1 tsp. salt. Cover. Cook about 12 minutes or until tender. (For a milder flavor, lift the cover three or four times to permit the acids to escape with the steam.)

Carefully remove parsnips from pan. Dip into beaten eggs and then in bread crumbs mixed with the 1/2 tsp. salt and the rosemary. Brown on both sides in hot shortening.

Yield: 6 servings.

• 8 boiled parsnips
• 2 tbs. butter
• 2 tbs. light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp powdered mustard

Quarter parsnips and place them in a buttered one-quart casserole. Dot with butter. Mix sugar with mustard and sprinkle over top. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until parsnips are glazed and browned.

• 2 lbs. parsnips
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1 tbs. sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs

Place sesame seeds on tray and put in 200 degree oven to toast lightly. Scrub and peel parsnips; if old, remove hard center core (allow an extra 1/2 lb. in recipe if cores are removed). Cut in rounds.

Butter 1-1/2 quart casserole. Mix crumbs and sesame seeds together.

Boil parsnips in slightly salted water. When tender, pass through sieve or puree in blender. Add butter and cardamom, salt if you wish. Place in buttered casserole. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and sesame seeds; dot with thin slices of butter.

Place in 400 degree oven until top is brown, about 20 to 23 minutes. Serve from casserole at table.