Mae West, American actress (1893-1980) cheekily remarked, “The
only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.”
She might, though, have liked these simple minted carrots
and this dish of carrots, stewed with rice.
CARROTS WITH MINT
½ pound carrots (I
used simple truth organic cut & peeled baby carrots)
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
1 tablespoon
sugar
fresh mint (3
tablespoons, washed, dried, chopped, no stems)
salt and pepper,
to taste
1.
Add the carrots to an 8-inch skillet
in which enough water to cover them is boiling, about 1 cup. Blanch (boil) for
5 minutes. Drain.
2.
Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1
tablespoon sugar, then cook as gently as possible until tender, about 15
minutes. The carrots should not be
mushy.
3.
Stir in the mint. Season with salt and pepper.
CARROTS STEWED WITH
RICE (a TURKISH dish, good hot or cold)
This recipe is inspired by the late Elizabeth David, the
Julia of the UK
or perhaps Julia was the Elizabeth
of the US.
½ pound carrots,
about 3-4, about 1 cup. (For this, I found some slim organic carrots that looked really fresh)
olive oil
4 tablespoons
raw rice
1 cup water
salt
½ cup fresh chopped mint, no stems
½ fresh curly
parsley, no stems
juice of lemon
or lime
1.
Peel the carrots and cut them in
half, lengthwise.
2.
Use low heat to warm enough olive
oil to cover the bottom of a 10-inch skillet
3.
Add the carrots and (David’s
words) “let them get thoroughly impregnated with the oil.” She means, turn them
gently until they are coated.
4.
Add 4 tablespoons rice and stir it around with the carrots. Add 1
cup water and salt.
5.
Cover. Simmer over lowest heat for
20-25 minutes or until rice and carrots are tender and most of the liquid
evaporated.
6.
Stir in the washed, dried, chopped
cup of mint and parsley. Squeeze on lemon or lime juice.
Cg note:
Vegetarian and vegan proof.
Photos by Carol Guilford
