When the Great Fire of London was at its height, Boswell was seemingly unconcerned about the fate of his house, but he was very worried about his Stilton cheese, which he hurriedly buried in his garden. The recipe for making Stilton first appeared in the eighteenth century, with the original thought to have come from the housekeeper at Quenby Hall just outside Leicester; known as Quenby cheese, it was sold to the Bell Inn in the village of Stilton, not far from Peterborough. Stilton has traditionally been eaten with something sweet - for example, port or a sweet wine. In this tart the sweetness of the parsnips fulfils this role admirably. Parsnips have been valued since Roman times, and later, because of their capacity to mix well with honey, wine and spices, they often found themselves in puddings and pies. Although we tend to think of parsnips as a roast vegetable, this tart will make you think again. Cumin and coriander help to accentuate the sweetness of the parsnip and the distinctive flavour of the Stilton.