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Oh, Humble Carrot!
Date: Sep. 12th 2008
Category: Uncategorized
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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 oilPlace 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!
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09/12/08 at 7:11 pm
Ohhh… these carrots look so good! I can’t wait to give them a try.
09/12/08 at 10:21 pm
I love the dressing that you used…
09/13/08 at 12:57 am
At last another carrot convert. Lots more unusual carrot recipes in the World Carrot Museum - carrotmuseum.com
09/13/08 at 1:46 am
That salad sounds great! A flavorful combo! Yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
09/13/08 at 3:26 am
will have to give this version of carrot salad a try!
09/13/08 at 3:38 am
This is pretty much the only way I can get my son to eat carrots. He picks them out of whatever dish he finds them in but he loves them in a salad!
09/13/08 at 5:33 am
Gorgeous! Totally great idea with the preserved lemons. And speaking of preserved lemons, it’s time to make more. I’m down to my last two.
09/13/08 at 6:47 am
I agree - carrots are DEFINITELY “overworked yet underappreciated.” Kudos to Sara Jenkins for creating a recipe that highlights the delectable carrot!! And kudos to you for making the actual carrot salad, since it looks PHENOMENAL :0)
09/13/08 at 9:26 am
Tell you what - it looks delicious, so I’ll try it. Plus, it’s gotta be cheap - how much can a few carrots cost?
09/13/08 at 10:28 am
I love carrots and I love carrot salad. This one looks delicious!
Paz
09/13/08 at 10:50 am
I’d say that’s a good idea… and pretty too.
I had to make a salad for my gourmet club once that was made entirely of radishes with an orange vinaigrette. I thought it strange, but it was a big hit.
09/13/08 at 8:48 pm
This looks great. And hey, my husband actually eats carrots! I will have to serve this at dinner one night.
09/14/08 at 3:53 am
that’s one gorgeous salad…. i agree that they are very underrated vegetables…. but they’re just so darn accommodating!!
09/14/08 at 8:59 am
I used to have a salad very similar to this one all the time when I studied abroad in Nantes, France. I have really tried to re-create it but haven’t had much success- this appears to be the recipe I was looking for! Thank you!
09/14/08 at 11:40 am
That looks wonderful. Sometimes it is great to just pare down and let the produce shine.
The book sounds really interesting, I must look it up.
09/14/08 at 8:05 pm
Our favourite is shredded carrots with a creamy dressing, nuts, and raisins. Weird but true.
09/14/08 at 8:36 pm
Ha! I almost made a carrot salad yesterday but changed my mind at the last minute–glad you made yours.
j
09/15/08 at 5:39 am
So glad you are back and that you took time to really enjoy your family and Italy.
09/15/08 at 9:12 am
What a beautiful salad! The carrots are so vibrant!
09/15/08 at 9:30 pm
It sounds good! I have a carrot salad recipe with parsley, but I’m liking the idea of thyme with carrots in a salad.
09/16/08 at 11:47 pm
I love carrot salads with indian seasonings… Such a good side dish or meal all by itself. This recipe looks great, too.
09/20/08 at 4:41 am
[…] Cream Puffs in Venice - Ivonne sings the praises of carrots. […]
09/20/08 at 6:37 am
I’ve banned all the pre-peeled, pre-cut carrots from my kitchen. They just have no flavour! Last week I got some amazing fresh from the earth organic carrots at the Farmer’s market and suddenly, a little peeling wasn’t such a big deal. After all, you want to taste carrot when you eat carrots, right?
09/20/08 at 11:34 am
I love carrots, and even manage to let them start occasionally. But you’re right, usually they just add flavors.
10/2/08 at 5:34 am
[…] • Ivonne’s Carrot Salad with Preserved Lemon Juice, Parsley and Thyme […]
10/2/08 at 1:44 pm
Carrots do make a wonderful salad or side-dish! I make a similar-ish marinated carrot dish, but with lashings of garlic and oregano. Lovely with a Sunday lunch, and even better sneaked from the fridge as a midnight snack!