Carrot Salad

Makes 6 servings. 

Perhaps because carrots are so readily available all year we do not see them very much on menus.  In France carrot salads are iconic dishes. This carrot salad is easy to prepare and goes well with meat, poultry or fish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ¼ pounds carrots, about 8 carrots (See Note)

• 2 tablespoons natural rice vinegar

• 6 sprigs tarragon, remove leaves and chop coarsely

• 3 scallions, including most of the green part, thinly sliced

• 2 teaspoons honey

• Kosher salt

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

PREPARATION:

1. Peel the carrots. Grate in a food processor fitted with the medium grating attachment. 

2. In a large bowl combine the vinegar, tarragon, scallions, honey and ½ teaspoon salt. Slowly add the olive oil.

3. Add the carrots and the parsley and toss well. Season to taste with vinegar and salt.

NOTE:

If possible look for bunches of medium carrots with the greens still attached.  

Grated Sauteed Carrots

Makes 6-8-servings as a side dish.

I find that carrots have become a neglected vegetable, so I was determined to create a dish that looks good, tastes good and is easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound carrots, 2 large ones
• 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

1. Peel the carrots, trim and discard the ends. Grate coarsely in a food processor fitted with a medium attachment.
2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and sauté, over low heat, for a minute.
3. Add paprika, cumin and all the carrots.
4. Cook over medium to low heat, covered for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in parsley and season to taste with vinegar, salt and pepper.

Celery Root and Carrot Salad

Makes 6-8 servings.

Despite the name, celery root has nothing to do with celery. Celery root is also known as celeriac or knob celery. It is a fall and winter vegetable which is rich in vitamins.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 small to medium celery root, about 2 pounds
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 scallions including green parts

DRESSING  

• 2 -3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup extra- virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

PREPARATION

1. Drop celery root into boiling water. Cover, and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and refresh with cold water.
2. Peel celery root and remove all the dark embedded spots (this rough-looking vegetable is a bit tricky to peel). Cut into eights to fit into the feeding tube of a food processor fitted with the medium grating attachment. Press hard to try and obtain long, even matchsticks. Empty into a bowl.
3. Peel the carrot, trim and grate.
4. Trim the scallions and cut into thin slices.  Add both to the bowl.  
5. Combine vinegar and mustard in a small bowl.  In a slow stream, whisk in the olive oil to form an emulsion. Toss with celery root. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for a short while and season to taste again.