The humble carrot is a nutritional powerhouse.
For too long, I looked upon the humble carrot, well known in antiquity, as well as today, for its very healthful properties, as a boring, lackluster vegetable, too often tucked away in a boring partnership with a beef roast, potatoes and onions.
Carrots, as my mother always reminded me, were to be eaten because “they’re good for you,” not because you really loved them.
But this modest root veggie, filled with vitamins and beta carotene, can be cooked adventurously, becoming a star on the dinner table.
Many writers state that the carrot, in something like its contemporary form, was brought westward as early as the ninth century to the Mediterranean region, and then to Europe and beyond, from Afghanistan, where today the very dark red and even purple carrots of ancient times are still grown. Moorish invaders and then Arab traders brought seeds of purple and yellow carrots to the Med via the coast of North Africa, along with spinach and aubergines. Romans consumed the carrot long before it came to Europe, cooked and often served with a dressing of oil and vinegar.
In Medieval times, the carrot also was used as a remedy for animal and insect bites, problems of the female reproductive system and childbirth, to enhance one’s energy and “bring joy to one’s heart.”
Japanese Carrot-Ginger Dressing
This is the dressing made famous in Japanese steakhouses
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons grated ginger
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- ½ mild onion, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 head of lettuce, cut into wedges or bite-sized pieces, for serving
Combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, carrots and onion in a food processor and process until smooth, season with salt and pepper. Combine lettuce and dressing in a bowl and toss until evenly coated, serve immediately. Store in a Mason jar in the fridge, where it will keep up to a couple of weeks.
Carrot Relish
- 1 pound of carrots, chopped
- ½ green, red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ½ mild onion, chopped
- Chopped tomatoes, drained
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Sauté carrots, pepper and onion until tender.
Add tomatoes, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, oil and salt and heat to boiling. Boil vigorously for one minute. Serve with grilled chicken, pork or beef. Tasty hot, room temperature or chilled.
About the Writer:
Rebecca Jackson is a veteran newspaper person/journalist based in Bedford County, VA. A native of California and an M.A. graduate of Arizona State University, she has a passion for pets (animals), good food/cooking, music, wine, horticulture, photography and travel.
