Nourishments—

Topsy-Turvy Over Carrots

By  Nancy K. Crevier

I guess I shouldn’t have minded it so much as a child when the boys taunted me with, “Carrot Top! Carrot Top!”  I was the only one in my family with bright, red hair; for that matter, I was practically the only one in a town of blonde Swedes and dark-haired Native Americans with red hair.

But if I had thought about it, I could have tossed back at my tormentors the folly of the teasing chant: for are not the tops of carrots the lush green foliage that rises above the sandy soil, rather than the orange root buried deep in the earth?

At any rate, being associated with a carrot may not be such a compliment when you are five, but the carrot has so many good virtues, I now realize that it really is quite flattering to be in its company.

Low in calories — only 52 in a cup of raw carrots — and high in fiber, the slender root vegetable gets high points for providing prodigious amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin C as well. Carrots are also a great source of antioxidants, boosting the immune system.

What gives carrots their classic orange color is a substance called beta-carotene. Beta-carotene stimulates the body to produce Vitamin A, which is essential for healthy skin and for sharp night vision. (Why is it then that cats are out at night and rabbits are not? Are those kitties eating carrots on the sly?)

Best of all, carrots taste good. Their natural sweetness is at its peak from late summer to winter, but carrots are available, affordable and delicious year around. Enjoy them raw for optimal nutritional value, but if you must cook them, choose to steam them. Carrots boiled in water or broth release nutrients into the cooking liquid and all of those goodies go down the drain. Soups, of course, are an exception, when the cooking liquid is incorporated into the recipe.

Like other thin-skinned root vegetables, vitamins are stored in the skin of the carrot. Peeling carrots peels away much of the nutritional value. The down side of that, though, is that carrots are the sponge of the earth. Unless the carrots are grown organically, unwanted pesticides build up in the skin. So, commercial carrots should be peeled; organic carrots can be enjoyed peels and all.

Store carrots wrapped loosely in a plastic bag, the leafy green carrot tops cut off, in the refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks.

Carrots newly pulled from the ground, with the soil still clinging to them, can be stored all winter long in a cool cellar, if such an old-fashioned room is part of your home.

And by the way, those boys who gave me grief about my hair? They are mostly bald now….

Carrot Top Plant

1 healthy carrot

shallow plate

small stones

water

Carrot tops are easy to grow into a beautiful plant. Use a carrot with some healthy bits of green sprouting from the top.

Place the small stones in a heap on the plate and add enough water to come above the stones, but not lap over the edge of the plate.

Slice about one inch off the top of the carrot and push it gently into the stones on the plate.

Place the carrot in a window where it will get adequate light, and be sure to keep it watered. In a few days leafy foliage should begin to sprout from the carrot top. Beautiful!

(The plant doesn’t have a long life, but the good news is, it is easy to do over again.)

Peanut Carrot Soup

4 C carrots, diced

1 C onion, diced

1 C celery diced

1/3  C rolled oats

6 C water, vegetable or chicken stock

1 tsp salt

1/8  tsp cayenne

¼ C minced fresh cilantro

1/3  C unsalted natural peanut butter

Place all ingredients except for cilantro and peanut butter into a medium stock pot.

Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until carrots are very tender, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Puree in batches in blender with peanut butter and cilantro until smooth.

Return to pot and reheat slowly over low heat.

Adjust seasonings to taste. For an extra creamy version, whisk in 1/3  C heavy cream before reheating.