Carrots

3 tablespoons butter
1 bunch carrots, sliced crosswise
¼ cup chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used apple cider)
1 tsp sugar or maple syrup
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon minced dill

Heat butter in skillet on medium.  Add carrots, stock, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Simmer covered until just tender, about 5 minutes.  Uncover and turn up the heat to reduce the liquid to a sauce.  Add dill and mix.  Serve.

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 3-4 dates, chopped small
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 TBLS fresh parsley, minced (or 1-2 tsp
• dried), optional
• ¼ - ½ cup crumbled cheese (feta, chevre,
• etc)

Mix together above ingredients then toss with the following dressing:

• Juice of 1-2 lemons
• 2 TBLS olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt, or to taste

2-4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound carrots, chopped
1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
2-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper
¼ cup cream or milk

Heat butter in pot on medium.  Add onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add carrots and parsnips, broth, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and puree.  If too thick, add more broth.  Add salt and pepper.  Add cream or milk.  This soup is also good cold.

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup shredded desiccated coconut
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup honey
• 3TBLS melted butter
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped + more for topping

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9x9 baking dish. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in rest of ingredients. Spread mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle more walnuts and coconut on top. Bake 35-40 min.

This is an elegant, light, and sweet side dish to dress up your carrots.  Great for a winter party!

4 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups onions, minced
2 eggs, separated
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground gloves

Steam carrots until tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Cook onion in butter until tender in skillet.  Puree carrots and onions together with egg yolks, salt, and cloves until smooth.  Beat egg whites to stiff and gently fold into carrot puree.  Pour into a buttered baking dish.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until puffy.

1 cup minced onion
1/4 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger root
1 stick of butter
6 cups chicken stock
2 pounds of carrots, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups cream or half and half or milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

In 4 tablespoons butter, saute onion and ginger root until softened, about 5-10 minutes.  Add the carrots and chicken stock.  Bring to boil, turn down, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 1/2 hour.  Puree, stir in cream, remaining butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Serve hot!
 

• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp corriander
• 6 TBLS olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 pound carrots, peeled, halved or quartered depending on size, and chopped into 1/4" chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
• salt and pepper to taste
• juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon, to taste
• juice of 1 orange
• 3 TBLS tahini

Mix cumin, corriander, 4 TBLS olive oil and honey together.  Coat carrots and garlic in this "dressing" and spread on baking sheet.   Roast at 400 degrees until tender, approximately 30 minutes.  Let cool.  Add the carrots, the remaining olive oil and the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth.  Check for taste and add anything else if needed.  Refrigerate and use as a dip or spread!

• ½ cup (packed) fresh basil leaves 
• 2 cups carrot tops (leaves)
• ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 TBLS nuts of your choice, macadamia, walnut, pecan, or pine nuts
• ½ cup olive oil (more or less)
• salt and pepper to taste

Pulse garlic and nuts in a food processor until a coarse paste forms.  Add basil, parmesan, and carrot tops; process until well blended. Add olive oil and pulse until combined into desired paste consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.   

To freeze, pack into ziplock bags as is or into ice cube trays and freeze.  The pop the pesto cubes out and store in ziplock bag in freezer.

Availability: July-March

Storage tips: Refrigerate in a plastic bag. Carrots store very well in the fridge and should at least a month. If you want to store carrots from a bunch for a while, remove the tops before putting them in a bag. Fall grown storage carrots should last many months in cold storage.

How to eat: Carrots are a wonderfully diverse vegetable. They can be steamed, used in stir-fries, roasted, sliced or grated and used in salads, or eaten raw as snacks. They’re great for kids’ lunches!

How to preserve: Best: Store them in your refrigerator as described above!  Other ways are to ferment them into Ginger Carrots or with cabbage in a sauerkraut.  You can blanch and freeze them or can them, too.

This recipe is so simple and amazing!  It brings out the sweetness in carrots like no other.  To mix it up try the sweet and sour variation below that is also soooo good!

Basic Coconut Carrots

3 TBSP coconut oil
1 lb. carrots, sliced thinly and halved or quartered if fat ones
Sour cream
Salt and pepper

Heat oil on medium in heavy bottomed skillet. Add carrots and sauté, stirring frequently for 20 minutes or until very soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream on each portion.

Sweet and Sour Coconut Carrots Variation

3 TBSP coconut oil
1 lb. carrots, sliced thinly and halved or quartered if fat ones
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Sour cream
Salt and pepper

Heat oil on medium in heavy bottomed skillet. Add carrots and sauté, stirring frequently for 20 minutes or until very soft. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and cumin. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream on each portion.

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled, and cut into 1 ½” pieces
• 3-4 TBLS butter
• 2-4 TBLS honey
• Zest of one orange
• ½ tsp salt

Melt butter and pour into crockpot. Add honey, orange zest, and salt. Mix, add carrots, and stir to coat. Cook 2-3 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low until desired tenderness.

3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
several cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
2-4 teaspoons curry powder depending on taste
2 lbs carrots, chopped
3-4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream

Heat oil in saucepan and add onion.  Saute until softened about 10-15 minutes.  Add ginger, garlic, and curry powder.  Saute about 1 minute.  Add carrots and chicken broth.  Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Puree soup and thin with water if necessary.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl. 

These are a great way to jazz up plain carrot sticks and make them better for you to boot!  This recipe is for a pint jar but feel free to make a quart or more of them by multiplying the recipe.  By the way, since these are lacto-fermented, you have to make them ahead of time.

• carrots, cut into sticks
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/2 inch ginger root, sliced
• 1/2-1 teaspoon curry powder (we use homemade curry powder here--see recipe below)
• salt and water
• 2 TBLS whey (liquid drained from plain yogurt with live active cultures)

Pack your carrot sticks, garlic, ginger, and curry powder into a pint jar.  Leave 1 inch of head space clear of ingredients at the top of your jar.  Make up a brine of 2 cups water to 1.5 tablespoons of salt.  Stir to disolve then pour over your carrot sticks leaving 1 inch of head room from the top.  Cap tightly and leave at room temperature for 5-7 days or until desired taste is obtained.***  When you like the taste, refrigerate and enjoy!

***Make sure to check every day as they are fermenting because as the fermentation process progresses there will be pressure building up in the jar that you'll want to release!

Madhur Jaffrey's homemade curry powder

• 2 tablespoons ground corriander
• 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole mustard seeds
• 6 whole cloves
• 3 dried hot peppers (like cayennes), crumbled (or 2 tablespoons dried red chili flakes)
• 1 teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

In a small skillet, toast the corriander, cumin, peppercorns, mustard seeds, cloves, and chilies until lighly toasted and smelling really good.  Stir the spices to prevent burning.  Add fenugreek seeds and turmeric and stir for 10 seconds.  Remove spices from skillet to cool.  Grind spice mixture in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestel.  Viola, your very own curry powder!

This is sooooo good, so easy to make, and goes with everything as a side dish.  Must try!

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• 3 TBLS olive oil
• 3 TBLS lemon or lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Salt, to taste

Toss carrots and cilantro. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour this dressing over the carrots. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

• 2+ pounds carrots, grated
• 1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
• 1 TBSP sea salt
• 1/4 cup whey (liquid drained from plain yogurt with live active cultures)

In a bowl mix carrots, ginger, salt and cabbage or whey (if using) and pound or massage using clean hands for 5 minutes until you see lots of juices.  Pack into a wide-mouth quart jar, leaving more than one inch of head room from the top.  Press down with spoon or pounder until you see juices around the top.  Put lid on tightly, label, and leave out at room temperature for at least 48 hours up to a week or so.***  Then store in the refrigerator and start eating!  These will keep for months in the fridge.

***Make sure to check every day as they are fermenting because as the fermentation process progresses there will be pressure building up in the jar that you'll want to release!

2 Tbls cooking oil
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
½ apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp ground cardamom
3-4 cups chicken broth
4 Tbls butter
¾ tsp vanilla extract
Salt to taste
Sour cream or heavy cream (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the apple, garlic, and cardamom and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring. Add the broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt. Puree with a handheld blender or in a regular blender after cooling slightly. Serve hot with an optional spoonful of cream in each bowl. Serves 2-4.

• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 4 TBLS lemon juice, or to taste
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced, to taste
• 2 TBLS fresh dill, optional (or other fresh herb as desired)
• 1 TSP lemon zest
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and pour into bowl to use as dip.  Also makes a good (but thick) salad dressing.  You can adjust the thickness by how much lemon juice you put in.

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 egg
• 2 TBLS bread crumbs
• 2 TBLS onion or leek or green onion,
• Minced
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Boil carrots until tender. Drain. Puree carrots in food processor until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pulse until combined. Spread mixture into greased custard cups and bake 40 minutes, or until tops are brown and crispy. Serve hot.

Make sure to add enough salt to this soup because that's what makes it sparkle!  The tahini is usually unsalted so add accordingly and enjoy this unusual version of classic carrot soup.

2-3 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons of lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
3 tablespoons plain tahini

Heat oil on medium in pot.  Add onions, carrots, spices, and salt.  Saute until the veggies begin to soften, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Add broth.  Bring to boil, turn down and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.  Add lemon juice and tahini.  Blend the soup.  Check the seasoning and add more salt if needed.  Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.
 

This recipe was inspired by Maine Maple Sunday! Just when you think winter's candy carrots can't get any sweeter... try this!

cooking oil (I used coconut oil which was delicious! Or try bacon fat... mmmm! Or whatever you have)
carrots, peeled and diced or chopped into small bite size
grated ginger root to taste
maple syrup to taste
salt to taste

Heat oil in heavy bottom skillet until medium hot and add carrots. Saute until beginning to brown and have softened to desired texture, stirring frequently, approx 20 minutes. Add salt and ginger. Saute stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Turn off heat. Add maple syrup and serve hot.

Yum!  Use fresh pesto or frozen, doesn't matter.  You can make this recipe at almost anytime of year!

• Carrots, cut into match sticks or left whole if baby sized
• Maple syrup
• Cooking oil (we use ghee or coconut oil for this)
• Salt to taste
• Pesto

Toss carrots with salt, maple syrup and cooking oil and roast at 350 until tender and starting to caramelize. Check every 10 min or so to stir and mix evenly. Drizzle pesto over roasted carrots and serve hot! 

This is a very flexible recipe.  You can basically add any diced and sauteed veggies to it!  But carrots are a perennial favorite at our house so there it is :)

No matter what I put in it, I always get compliments on it, and kids eat it, too!

• 2-3 large carrots, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1-2 stalks celery, diced or other green veggie
• cooking oil or butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• thyme to taste
• red chili flakes to taste
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup cream or milk
• 3 pounds ground meat of your choice (I often use one of the pounds as chorizo or some other spiced meat)
• fish sauce, optional
• ketchup

Saute until tender the veggies in the cooking oil.  Add salt, pepper, spices to taste.  Remove from heat.  Soak breadcrumbs in cream.  Add meat, eggs, sauteed veggies, soaked breadcrumbs, and optional fish sauce to large bowl.  Combine well with your hands.  Form into loaf shape in baking dish (or dishes) and spread ketchup liberally on top.  Add a little water on either side of the meatloaf.  Bake in oven at 350 for 1.5 hours.

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼” slices on the diagonal
• 16 oz mushrooms, washed, sliced into ½” slices, dried
• 3 TBLS+ olive oil
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Toss carrots with 1 TBLS olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast carrots for 15 minutes. Toss mushrooms with remaining olive oil. Remove carrots from oven, stir, add mushrooms and roast until everything is tender, about 15 minutes. 

Robert says that this recipe for Gingered Carrots is one of his go-to veggie sides.

• 1 pound of carrots, chopped into desired bite size pieces
• One tablespoon of minced ginger
• One tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• One tablespoon olive oil
• One teaspoon cinnamon
• A pinch of salt and pepper

Toss prepared carrots with the rest of the ingredients.  Roast at 400° until tender.

1-2 onions, peeled and chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped
chicken broth and/or coconut milk (approx 4-6 cups total)
peanut butter to taste
cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste

Heat cooking oil in pan and sauté onions until softened, about 10 min, stirring.  Add carrots, garlic, and chicken broth and/or coconut milk to cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20-30 min.  Puree and add the rest of the ingredients.  Check for salt and pepper and serve hot.  

• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup grated beets
• ½ cup dried coconut flakes
• 4-6 dates, finely chopped
• 3-4 TBLS olive oil
• 1-2 TBLS lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp honey

Toss all ingredients together and let sit at least 15 minutes to meld flavors and draw out juices. Toss again and serve.