Why do you serve carrots to your family? Because they are filled with fiber and
nutrients? Because they are colorful and
look pretty on the plate? Because they
are sweet enough for the kids to like them?
Do you cook them same way all the time? Do you boil them and add a little
butter? Do you include them in pot
roast, stews and soups? Of course. We all do!
I’ve also added roasting them with a drizzle of olive oil to my go-to
recipes.
I’m convinced that we would enjoy this very old
vegetable more, if we found different ways to prepare them! They are very old! According to foodtimeline.org, they have been
around since 3000 BC. In keeping with my
food project title, Vintage Vegetables, I have to say that carrots are
more than vintage! Some refer to them as
old world. They certainly are,
but they have remained a sustainable vegetable into this new world!
Carrots or Queen Anne’s Lace? Wild carrots have a parsnip-type root. Those
wild things are referred to as Queen Anne’s Lace today, but that doesn’t make
me want to dig up the roots of those pretty highway roadside wildflowers. I’ll settle for the carrots … in any color …
that I can buy at the market … more enjoyably at the outdoor Farmers’ markets!
Let’s not forget how versatile the carrot is. We’ve all made carrot salads, carrot cakes
and carrot muffins. We enjoy eating them
raw, and I’ve never seen a child refuse them if there is Ranch Dip
available!
Another important note about carrots is that they adapt
nicely to the flavors of herbs. Add a
handful of fresh basil leaves to the pan while you simmer baby carrots and the
flavor changes considerably. Add dill or
cilantro and you have two additional flavors.
A spritz of lemon juice with the dill and lime juice with the cilantro,
and you’ll make your carrots even better.
Please set the salt and pepper aside and try something new! Just because carrots are old world
doesn’t mean we can’t bring them to this millennium!
This recipe couldn't be easier ... and it is such a tasty way to prepare this very vintage vegetable! There is a shortcut, too!
Roast the carrots in a drizzle of olive oil in a 400 degree oven. Use a heavy sheet pan or roasting pan. Sprinkle It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes to reach a tender state. Roasting caramelizes the carrots and that browned color makes the vegetables more appetizing.
The sauce is so simple. Saute chopped red and green bell peppers in a little butter. You can use from 1/4 to 1/2 cup of peppers. When they are soft, simply stir in 1/2 cup of your favorite bleu cheese salad dressing. Pour it over the warm carrots and serve them. The buttery cheesy sauce adds a savory note to the carrots. It is so simple and delicious. Enjoy!
I'll share this with a couple blog parties so make sure you click through to see the other posts.
This post is a part of my Vintage Vegetables food project for 2020. If you want to see other posts, just visit the Vintage Vegetables page.
