Sunday, February 24, 2008

Weekend Herb Blogging #121

Lia from Swirling Notions is hosting Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I have something that's very colourful

carrots

Fresh from the farmers' market there was no way I could just walk past these multi-coloured carrots and not get myself a bunch or two.

Though they may look a bit odd to our modern eyes, it wasn't always that way. Purple and Red are the original carrot colours, the orange not taking hold until the 16th century when the Dutch created a carrot in honour of their royal family, the House of Orange.

We all know that orange carrots due to the presence of beta carotene makes them an excellent source of Vitamin A but what about the other colours?

The white carrots are pigment free so apart from the innate healthy properties associated with vegetables they don't have any other properties.

Yellow carrots have Lutene which help to keep your eyes healthy - it is also thought to help in the prevention of some forms of cancer and hardening of the arteries.

Red carrots contain Lycopene - it's useful in the fight against heart disease.

Purple carrots are a bit unusual as you'll see because they are orange on the inside and the skin colour comes from Anthocyanics, a type of antioxidant.

With all these good elements contained within their colourful package, the last thing I want to do is boil the goodness out of them. So for this weeks recipe, I'm simply going to roast them in the oven.

roasted carrots

Oven-roasted Carrots

assorted carrots
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
garlic cloves
orange-infused olive oil, optional

Wash the carrots well and trim the tops. I've only peeled those that had blemishes. I've also cut the larger ones in half lengthways to even out the size and make sure they will all cook in roughly the same amount of time.

Drizzle them in a little olive oil, then grind over with salt and pepper - toss them well and then lay them out on a lined tray. Stud unpeeled garlic cloves amongst the carrots - these will caramelise in their skins as the carrots cook.

carrots ready for the oven

Bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F until slightly softened - turn them after 20 minutes to make sure they cook evenly. I like to keep a bit of a bite to the carrots but you if you like them softer, just cook them for longer.

roasted carrots©

You can serve them straight from the oven but I like to add an extra touch - a light drizzle of orange-infused Olive oil just lifts the flavour and adds an appealing citrus note.

roasted carrots©


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14 comments

  1. Hi Haalo,

    How I love rainbow carrots. I find them so much sweeter than regular carrots, and of course, more vibrant. I agree that roasting them is the way to go. When those natural sugars caramelize--mmmm....it's so good. What a perfectly colorful WHB entry! PS-I have an award for you on my blog.

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  2. Gorgeous colours! Those would make any kid want to eat their veggies!

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  3. These carrots are magnificient! I don't have a farmers market here in Florida to find these carrots but perhaps this summer when we move to Maine.

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  4. I saw Jamie Oliver making a warm salad with these multicoloured carrots and it looked great, but this is a lovely, simple way of cooking them, that will bring out all of the flavour. Now I just have to find some!

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  5. These pictures are simply gorgeous!!! I love them!

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  6. Thank you so much Susan - that is so very kind of you!

    Thanks Brilynn - they do look irresistable.

    Thanks Ronnie - hope you find some!

    Thanks Holler - I'll have to look out for that recipe.

    Thanks Gretchen!

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  7. It looks like a rainbow, Haalo! So beautiful!

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  8. Those are stunning. I didn't even know they existed! I am going to prowl my farmer's market this summer, even if just for looks alone.

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  9. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I can't wait until our farmers' market opens again!

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  10. Those carrots are gorgeous! I wish I could find some multicolored carrots to roast as well... What is it about brightly colored veggies that just makes them more fun to eat?

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  11. Oh yum. I want some of those colorful carrots. I don't think I've seen that many colors here, although after my garden starts producing I don't hit the Farmers Market that often so maybe I missed them. Your photos are fabulous!

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  12. Indeed they do Patricia!

    Thanks Erin - good luck in the search!

    Thanks Lia!

    Thanks Emiglia - maybe they look abit unreal or futuristic?

    Thanks Kalyn - might be worth growing some?

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  13. I love this! I've never seen different colored carrots, except for the orange. I like how simple this recipe seems. This is another one for me to try. Thanks!

    Paz

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  14. Thanks Paz - I do the same thing with normal orange carrots and the roasting really brings out that carrot flavour.

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