Of all the vegetables out there, few are as essential as the good old carrot. Simple, basic and indispensable, the carrot is often an unsung hero in thousands of recipes. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino reminds us, carrots may be Bugs Bunny’s favorite snack, but they’re incredibly useful for the rest of us.
Carrots originated in modern-day Afghanistan around the 10th century, initially grown for their aromatic leaves and seeds rather than their roots, which were white or purple and bitter. Cultivation spread from Central Asia to the Mediterranean and Europe, where variations in color like yellow and white emerged through selection. The familiar bright orange carrot was developed in the Netherlands in the 17th century through selective breeding from yellow varieties. Today, orange carrots dominate, though older purple and yellow varieties are still cultivated.
Carrots have an uncanny ability to add subtle sweetness to a dish. Tossed into a stew or soup, they quickly turn the flavor a little bit sweeter without going overboard. Here are some ideas for using carrots that Jerry came up with.
Honey Roasted Carrots:
Ingredients
· 8 medium carrots, peeled
· 3 tablespoons olive oil
· ¼ cup honey
· 4 sprigs fresh thyme
· 6 garlic cloves cut in half
· salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Gather all ingredients.
2. Place whole carrots in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil; toss until carrots are completely covered with oil. Add the thyme and garlic. Drizzle honey over carrots, then season with salt and pepper; mix until well coated.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until carrots are just tender, about 30 minutes, or longer if you prefer softer carrots.
4. Serve hot and enjoy!
Carrot Soup:
3 cups finely sliced carrots 1 1/2 Tbsp raw rice 4 cups vegetable broth 1 cup (one small) onion, chopped Coconut cream 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper
Put first 4 ingredients in a saucepan and cook slowly until carrots are very soft. Place in blender and blend thoroughly. Taste for seasoning – add more salt or pepper if necessary. Thin to desired consistency with coconut cream. The soup is delicious, served hot or chilled with chopped chives as a garnish.
Carrot Cake:
For the Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (260g)
2 teaspoons baking soda, important to level the teaspoon, see tips
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¼ cups vegetable oil (295ml)
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar (190g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups grated peeled carrots, 5 to 6 medium carrots (300g)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (120g)
½ cup raisins (70g)
For Creamy Frosting
8 ounces block cream cheese, at room temperature (225g)
2 teaspoons cornstarch, optional
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar (140g)
⅓ cup cold heavy cream, not plain whipping cream, see tips (80ml)
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, for topping cake (50g)
Directions
· Bake Cake
Heat oven and prepare pans: Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, and then grease the top. Or grease and flour the bottom and sides of both pans.
Prepare dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until very well blended.
Prepare wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each one.
Make the batter: Switch to a large rubber spatula. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the dry ingredients in three parts, gently stirring until they disappear and the batter is smooth. Stir in the carrots, nuts, and raisins.
Bake cake layers: Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until the tops of the cake layers are springy when touched and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes.
Cool them: Remove the cakes from the oven, and leave them in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully turn the cake layers out onto cooling racks. Remove the parchment paper and cool completely before frosting. If you find that a cake layer is sticking to the bottom of the pan, leave the cake pan upside down and allow gravity to do its thing.
· Frost Cake:
Prep dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together the cornstarch and powdered sugar. Set this aside.
Beat cream cheese: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with a handheld mixer on medium speed until very smooth, whipped, and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Combine ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, add the cornstarch and powdered sugar to the cream cheese, a heaped spoonful at a time, until thoroughly combined.
Add the cream: Pour in the cold heavy cream. Beat on medium to medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until the frosting is whipped and creamy. If it is not whipping, chill in the fridge for 15 minutes, and try again. This frosting resembles the texture of whipped cream. Chill covered until ready to frost the cake.
Assemble the cake: When the cake layers are completely cool, frost the top of one cake layer and place the second cake layer on top. Add the remaining frosting to the top of the cake and use a butter knife or small spatula to swirl the frosting around. Leave the sides of the cake unfrosted. Finish with a handful of nuts on top.
