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Is there a more overworked yet underappreciated vegetable in the kitchen than the Daucas Carota, otherwise known as the Carrot?

How many carrots have been sacrificed in the name of sauces, soups and stews with nary a tear shed over their demise?

Well no more I say! Today, here, right now, the humble Carrot gets its due!

And Carrot’s shining moment comes in the form of carrot salad. Yes, that’s correct. An entire salad made entirely of carrots.

Aren’t I the bold one!

Actually, I can’t take all the credit. In fact I don’t think I can really take any of the credit. The truth is that the credit goes to Sara Jenkins and Mindy Fox, the authors of Olives & Oranges, a lovely little book that I first mentioned here. Early on in the book, there’s a recipe for a refreshing and vibrant carrot salad.

The recipe shocked me because, to be quite honest, I’ve never really looked at the Carrot as being a potential star of its own show. I hate to admit it but in my kitchen the Carrot is usually a member of the supporting cast. It’s the trustworthy and always-loyal servant to a multitude of pretty dishes. But a dish unto itself?

Who knew!

So while the stars are tripping over themselves in the rush to the red carpet here in Toronto, I give you a different premiere: The Carrot Salad!

Please don’t forget the Carrot at Oscar time!

Ciao!

Carrot Salad with Preserved Lemon Juice, Parsley and Thyme
Adapted from Olives & Oranges by Sara Jenkins & Mindy Fox.

Note: The original recipe is very simple. It uses sea salt, lemon juice, parsley and olive oil to dress the carrots. I switched it up a bit by using the juice of preserved lemons, as well as white wine vinegar and thyme. Whatever you use to dress the salad, it’s so refreshing and it’s an excellent way to use those carrots straight from the garden.

4 large carrots, julienned (You can also shred them.)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (If you use preserved lemons, the juice will be salty so you don’t need a lot of salt.)
the juice of one preserved lemon (How much juice you get will depend upon the size of the lemon. Alternatively, you can just use regular lemon juice, however, be sure to increase the amount of sea salt.)
1 to 3 tbsp., white wine vinegar (Depending on how acidic you want the salad, you can adjust the amount of vinegar accordingly.)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tbsp. minced thyme
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the julienned carrots in a bowl and add the sea salt and the preserved lemon juice. Toss the carrots and let them sit for about 30 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Let the salad sit at room temperature for several hours. Serve the carrots at room temperature or refrigerate them overnight. Refrigerating them results in a truly crispy and tasty salad.

Enjoy!