Category: Grub Garage
The carrot, a member of the parsley family, is a root vegetable believed to
have originated in Afghanistan. Men have been consuming them for over 2000
years.
Interestingly, carrots used to be purple until the common orange variety
was developed in England in the 17th century.
Carrots are available year round. The ones with the greens still attached
are usually fresher and better tasting than their bagged, topless counterparts.
Choose carrots that are firm, free of cracks, and with non-wilted greens.
The best ones are young and slender. Baby carrots however, although the most
tender, are not as flavorful as their adolescent peers. Older and larger
carrots are tougher and sometimes need to have their woody core removed.
Remove the greens before storage since they deplete moisture and vitamins
from the carrots. Store them in a plastic bag in your fridge. Some say they can
be held up to two weeks but I recommend using them within one week due to
the deterioration of the natural sugars within the carrot. Younger carrots
don't
need to be peeled before use. Simply scrub their surface with a small brush
under running water. Older carrots, being more fibrous, are usually peeled.
Carrots are nutritional powerhouses purported to fight cancer, lower
cholesterol and boost the immune system. They contain Vitamins A, B, C, D,
E, the minerals
potassium and magnesium, and of course the highly touted beta-carotene.
Beta-carotene is one of hundreds of substances collectively known as
carotenoids,
which give carrots their characteristic pigment.
Carrots can be cooked in any number of ways although I would avoid boiling
them since the water will draw out much of their flavor. Roasting and sautéing
are my favorite methods but if you must go the water route, steam them instead.
Carrots have innumerable culinary uses. They are an important ingredient to
the classic mirepoix, a mixture of celery, onions and carrots used to flavor
stocks, sauces, and casseroles. Instead of mashed potatoes, try mashed
carrots. Just follow the same steps as mashed potatoes except the carrots
will need
to be cooked longer to get soft. Here's a way to jazz up your sautéed
vegetables. Take a carrot and grate it on the largest holes of your grater.
Sauté
your vegetables and then near the end add the grated carrot. Or julienne
your carrots and add them to stir frys. Cut them in large chunks and use them
as a bed to rest your chicken on while it roasts. And for dessert, of
course there's carrot cake.
I love carrots! Thanks for posting this. One more thing, carrots help a person tan faster. How? The beta-carotene is a booster for the melanine in the skin cells. So if you want to have a better tan in less time eat lots of carrots a few weeks before and then throughout the summer! Star