Rainbow Carrot Salad

It's been a few days since I posted anything new. I was out of town this past weekend for a family member's funeral, so I didn't have time to cook anything, and frankly didn't feel like cooking anything for a few days. I'm getting back into the swing of things now, and I plan to resume my regular posting. I hope you didn't miss me too much!

This isn't a new recipe - it's my simple carrot salad, that I posted back in January. Then, it was a great way to bring freshness and sunshine to the dark winter. Now, it's a celebration of springtime. I used parsley instead of basil this time and rainbow carrots in place of regular orange ones. The flavor isn't remarkably different, but it is certainly visually interesting! The beautiful purple carrots have yellow or orange centers, providing a great mix of colors in the salad.

When I found these beautiful rainbow carrots at the store, I knew I had to make something with them that was simple- something that would really showcase the carrots. I considered roasting them (like these carrots and parsnips), but decided that this unfussy, raw salad was more in the spirit of the season.

So, although this isn't a new recipe, it's one worth repeating. And rainbow carrots are a great way to dress it up! 

Rainbow Carrot Salad
This is the same recipe as Simple Carrot Salad, and you can of course make this with regular orange carrots. As before, use any combination of basil, parsley, and mint that you like - whatever you can get fresh.
Yield: about 4 cups, enough to serve 8 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
4 cups grated rainbow carrots
 Zest and juice of one whole lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground coriander
pinch of salt
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or more, to taste)
2 tsp honey

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Stir, cover, and refrigerate for an hour or more.
2. Serve and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers.

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Meatless Mondays: Simple Carrot Soup

Today's post isn't my own recipe, but it is one that I make over and over, and I wanted to share it with you. Although I try to give you plenty of original content, sometimes a recipe is great just how it is, so I link to it instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. This simple carrot soup is one of those great recipes. And it takes about 30 minutes to make, so it works even on a weeknight.

This is a recipe I turn to every time I have more carrots than I know what to do with. We can buy a pound of organic carrots for less than a dollar, so we usually buy at least one pound a week. They don’t spoil fast, and so sometimes we build up a bit of a backlog of carrots. Not that I mind, not at all! The carrots just find their way into soup. (OK, maybe I help them into the stockpot. Still.)

The best thing about this soup recipe is that the leftovers are endlessly customizable. A few things we like to stir in (in various combinations):

Toasted sesame oil
Extra virgin olive oil
Cumin
Curry powder
Ground ginger
Fresh ginger
Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Sesame seeds

 A few notes on the recipe: First, you don't need to peel the carrots, just trim off the tops. I've made the soup with peeled carrots and unpeeled carrots, and I don't notice any difference, so save yourself the work. Second, I cook the onion until it starts to smell a bit sweet, then add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. I don't toss garlic in with onions to cook, because the garlic usually starts to burn by the time the onion is done, so I cook the onions, then add the garlic. Finally, I always make this with water, not veggie stock, because I don't want the stock to interfere with the flavor. I add between 1 and 2 tsp of salt to the final soup, and it usually takes several tastings to get the salt level just right.

We eat this as a side-dish more often than as a main meal. Because it is mostly vegetables, with a bit of oil, it's usually not substantial enough on its own (although it is filling). Pair it with some kind of protein, and perhaps some bread for dunking to create a complete meal.

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Carrot Salad: Bright Flavors in Winter

The past few days have been unseasonably warm here in Nebraska. As in, it was 67 degrees on Thursday afternoon. In JANUARY. But I'm not complaining - I'll take any hint of spring I can to get through winter. Naturally, I went for a run with the pooch outside, to take advantage of the sunny skies!

When I came back, we were in the mood for a summer-inspired dinner. Summer cooking for me, though, is about celebrating the bounty of fresh produce that is available. How do we bring those bright, fresh flavors into January? This carrot salad certainly did the trick. And because carrots are pretty much available (cheaply) anytime, you can bring a little summer to January too. We ate this with a chicken and prosciutto involtini that Nick made on the grill - and for once, it was actually comfortable to be outside grilling!

I suppose the lesson I learned from this meal was to really celebrate the small moments - a warm day can be a huge bright spot in an icy winter.

Carrot Salad
I call for fresh basil here, but you could use any combination of basil, parsley, and mint that you like - just use whatever you can get fresh. In the summer time, I might increase the amount of herbs, but here it lends a nice background note to the bright lemon and carrot flavors.
Yield: about 4 cups, enough to serve 8 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
4 cups grated carrot (about 10 medium carrots)
Zest and juice of one whole lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground coriander
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or more, to taste)
2 tsp honey

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Stir, cover, and refrigerate for an hour or more.
2. Serve and enjoy! Refrigerate leftovers.

We saw a few sprouts starting in the windowsill garden this morning - hopefully I'll have a few baby plants to show you next week!