What's up, doc?

I was walking through the grocery store last week, and I saw something that made me smile--a bag of rainbow carrots. Most of us think of carrots in their traditional, familiar orange, but this bag also had yellow, purple and reddish pink carrots.  Some were thin and slender, others were beefy and stubby. Two bags of them somehow just jumped into my shopping cart.

I remember the first time I saw a carrot that wasn't orange. It was probably about 15 or 20 years ago when I still lived in Houston. These carrots were maroon and advertised as "Aggie" carrots. (The school colors of Texas A&M, my alma mater, are maroon and white, and the students are known as Aggies.) So, the idea of non-orange carrots is certainly nothing new. In fact, the carrots we typically eat have been specifically bred to be tender, orange and sweet; wild cultivars are all different colors. But, it's been a really cold and dreary stretch of weather here in the northeast, and something about that bag of carrots caught my imagination gave me a much needed boost. 

I remember buying those maroon carrots all those years ago, but I don't remember what I did with them. I probably just cut them up into sticks and ate them for lunch. Since, then, I've expanded my carrot recipe repertoire, and I've had some fun this week making a couple of my favorites.  

Carrot Ginger Dressing

This dressing is incredibly flavorful and has a creamy texture, all without using a lot of fat or oil. When pureed, the carrots take on a silkiness that gives the dressing a smooth richness. While it's great on a typical lettuce based salad, I like using it as a dressing for whole grains.

2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups water

2 tablespoons chopped, peeled ginger

2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

4 teaspoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons Kosher salt, plus additional as needed

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the carrots and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a blender, then add about 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and pepper.

Farro Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing

I happened to have farro in the pantry, but I've also made this salad with quinoa and Israeli couscous. You'll just need to adjust the recipe as needed to account for the different cooking times for the different grains.

2 cups farro

1 ½ cups chicken stock, low sodium

1 ½ cups water

1 cup diced English cucumber

1 cup diced red/yellow/orange bell pepper

1 cup edamame

1 cup sliced grape tomatoes

½ cup thinly sliced green onions, white and pale green parts

2 carrots thinly sliced into coins

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 recipe Carrot Ginger Dressing

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the farro, chicken stock and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and transfer the cooked farro to a bowl to cool.

Once the farro has cooled, add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to evenly combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Shallots

It was another bitter, bone-chillingly cold day/week/month in Philly. So, as much as I've enjoyed eating the farro salad, I came home the other night, and was just craving something warm. While I confess to eating these carrots straight off of the baking sheet that night, they are actually intended to be a side dish. 

1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed, and split in half if very large

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the carrots in an even layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Scatter the shallots over the carrots. In a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, salt, pepper and oil. Pour the oil mixture over the carrots. Stir/toss the carrots to coat them evenly with the oil, then spread back into an even layer. Roast until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of the carrots. Serve.