|
|
|
|
The Kitchen Gardener by Brigitte Dimock Carrots - an ordinary root of extraordinary value The bright orange fleshy root vegetable we know today as the carrot is a far cry from its wild ancestor, a small tough, pale fleshed acrid root plant. The Wild Carrot - Daucus Carota - is one of the many plants which belongs to the natural order Umbelliferae. It is a common plant in pastures and by roadsides and especially likes light soils where it can soon turn into a weed. 
To unravel the history of the carrot you have to go back a very long way. It originated some 5000 years ago in Middle Asia around Afghanistan, and slowly spread into the Mediterranean area. The first carrots were white, purple, red, yellow, green and black - not orange. Temple drawings from Egypt in 2000 B.C. show a plant which some Egyptologists believe to represent a large carrot. Egyptian papyruses contain information about treatment with carrot and its seeds were found in pharaoh crypts. Carrot seeds have been found in prehistoric Swiss lake dwellings giving clear evidence of human consumption. There is however no evidence of cultivation at this stage, more likely they were used for medicinal purposes. The Spanish people may have been the first to eat carrots in the 12th centry. In the 1600s, the Dutch developed the first orange carrots. Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene which the body converts to vitamin A. It is also an excellent of vitamins B and C as well as calcium pectate, an extraordinary pectin fibre that has been found to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Beta carotene has also been linked to prevention of cancers of various cancer. In order to assimilate the greatest quantity of the nutrients present in carrots, it is important to chew them well - they are the exception to the rule - they are more nutritious cooked than raw. Growing Carrots Carrots are easy to grow and keep well in a cold room. You will be surprised at how much more flavour your garden grown carrots have compared to the ones you buy at the supermarket. Homegrown carrots are sweet and have a nice crunch to them. The carrot is a cool climate crop and can be sown early in the spring in our area. Carrots prefer light sandy soils so if your soil is on the light side you will have no problem. If you garden on clay or stony land then your carrots will always struggle. Choose varieties carefully - round or stumpy rooted types will succeed practically anywhere, whereas long rooted, tapering types will develop strange twists and bends. In the Kitchen Carrots are so versatile. They are used in every course from soup to cake. Here is a recipe for carrots that works well in a menu that needs a sweet touch. This can be made ahead of time except for the addition of the almonds and then reheated and the almonds added in at the last minute. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare and serves 3 to 4. Honeyed Carrots ½ to 3/4 pound carrots, sliced. 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons finely chopped mint (1/4 teaspoon dried) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Pinch of nutmeg Salt to taste 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds (optional) Cook carrots in boiling water until just tender, about 7 to 10 minutes (you can also steam them). Drain. Combine the remaining ingredients except almonds and heat. Stir into carrots along with the chopped almonds. Read previous Kitchen Gardeners. May 2002 Potatoes Mar 2002 Leeks Feb 2002 Squash |