Friday, November 03, 2006

C is for...

C is for Carrot.
Who: The Carrot.
What: Root Vegetable, scientific name Daucus Carota, which has been traced in writings to the 3rd century. Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family which also includes Parsnips, Cumin and Dill.
When: Carrots can be planted in early spring, as soon as the soil is thawed.
Where: Anywhere! Carrots are one of the easiest vegetables to grow.
Why: Carrots are very rich in anti-oxidants, and are the best vegetable source of Vitamin A. They are full of Beta-Carotene which helps your vision. The nutrients in Carrots also promote Colon and Lung health.

Carrots can be purchased fresh, frozen and canned. Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked, and are actually better for you if eaten cooked. Carrots are commonly used in salads, stirfrys and stews.

Did you know? Baby or Mini Carrots sold in bags in the grocery store are not baby carrots at all. They are fully grown carrots that are either broken or deformed that have been peeled and formed in to a small carrot shape.


Carrot Patties

1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded potatos
1/4 of a red onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 egg, beaten
2-4 tb flour
salt
pepper
oil for frying

Squeeze as much moisture out of the potatos as you can, then mix the carrots, potatos, onion and garlic together. Add the egg, mix well, then add flour to bind. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tb of oil over medium heat. Drop the carrot mixture by large spoonfuls into the pan and press down slightly to flatten. Cook for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter and serve straight away.

Curried Carrots
It doesn't get much easier than this, but what a dish! Goes super with roasted chicken and potatos.

Slice some carrots into rounds. Steam until tender. Pour into a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together very soft or melted butter, honey and curry powder. Pour over the carrots and stir gently. If you have some parsley, chop it up and add it in.



Avert your eyes! It's NUDE MAN CARROT!

Previous Alphabet Posts:
A is for...
B is for...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I wish you would have made carrot soup. I was hoping you would do carrots and make a soup. Your patties look yummy, perhaps I shall try those instead.

Anonymous said...

Read more about the wonderful carrot here: www.carrotmuseum.com

Anonymous said...

I've never had curried carrots but they sound like something Rob would love. I'll have to veganized that and give it a try.

And I saw a show on the food network about baby carrots being cut from full size carrots. I felt so deceived after finding that out LOL

Sara said...

peabody - argh! i didn't think of carrot soup. i'll have to do that though, haven't had carrot soup in ages.

emmy - i hope you try the curried carrots, they are so good. and i know what you mean about the baby carrots - i was shocked!

Sara said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I can tell you I would love to eat those!!!

Anonymous said...

Carrot AND potato pancakes! Brilliant! Suprisingly quick to make too. I added some dill for luck, but it kind of disappeared into the golden crunchiness of it all. Yum.

Sara said...

Bea - thank you so much!

Anon - glad you liked them. They are delicious!