Silly Rabbit, Carrots Are For Kids…And Adults!
Silly Rabbit, Carrots Are For Kids…And Adults!
Anna Nguyen, Americorps Community Food Fellow and Carrot Enthusiast
Ya gotta hand it to those rascally garden bandits: carrots are a great snack!
This amazing root vegetable comes in a variety of colors and sizes, and are available in Georgia most of the year. Not only can you find the traditional long orange carrot, but you can also find red, purple, white, yellow, short, narrow, or stubby carrots.
Fun fact: prepackaged baby carrots found in grocery stores aren’t actually immaturely harvested carrots, they’re from full sized carrots that have been cut and whittled down into uniform two inch pieces. You can now pull that fact out at your next party and everyone will think you’re the smartest person in the room.
This perfect specimen of a vegetable not only provides a sweet earthy flavor, but it’s also packed with nutrients essential for the body. Carrots are rich with beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body converts into vitamin A and also gives them its characteristic orange color. Vitamin A is essential for eye health and supports the eyes abilities to adjust in low lighting. Carrots are also a good source of potassium, which is a mineral that supports normal blood pressure and helps in muscle contraction. Carrots are also a good source of fiber, with 2 small-medium carrots providing 2.8 grams of fiber. Fiber is an important nutrient because it promotes gut health and regulates bowel movements. Most Americans are consuming, on average, 15 grams of fiber, which is half of the recommended amount (25 - 30 grams per day). Guess I gotta start munching on some carrots, I am definitely not getting enough fiber.
Carrots are not only great snacks on their own (and as a vessel for many dips), but they’re also great cooked. Roasted! Sauteed! Stewed! Carrots in all cooked forms are tasty!
Here’s a recipe we’ve cooked up recently in the Marigold Shared Kitchen:
Carrot Soup with Ginger from Love and Lemons
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 pound carrots, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 cups vegetable broth
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional
coconut milk for garnish, optional
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the smashed garlic cloves (they’ll get blended later) and carrots to the pot and cook 8 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the ginger, apple cider vinegar, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Let cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add a little water. If you would like your soup a little sweeter, add the maple syrup.
Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk, if desired.
Can’t wait to see you at the market!
