How to Choose Your Carrots...
Get carrots that are bright orange,
smooth, firm, plump and well-shaped. Remove tops to prevent drying. Best from July-September.
How to Treat Your Carrots...
Washing vegetables requires contact with the
surface of the vegetable with your choice of cleaning instrument. Safe, popular
choices include wash rags, vegetable brushes or corn scrubbers. Once the carrot
is washed, rinsing begins by rubbing loosened dirt off with hand under water,
repeating until water is clear and no residue or grit can be felt on the carrot.
How to Cook Your Carrots...
Ingredients
v 1 ½ to 2 Lbs
Washed, Rinsed Carrots (See Keys to Success)
v 2 Cups Farm
Fresh Apricots
v 1 Sprig or 1 tsp
Fresh Chopped Thyme
v 1 Cup Pecans
v 1/8 tsp Ginger
(Powdered)
v 1 tsp Sea Salt
v 1/8 tsp Brown
Sugar
v ½ tsp Freshly
Ground/Cracked Pepper
v ¾ Cup Sugar
v ¼ Cup Brown
Sugar
v ½ Cup Water
v 2 Tbsp Honey
v 4 Tbsp Chicken
Stock/ Broth
v 2 Tbsp Butter
v Salt
v White Pepper
Instructions
1.
Preheat
Oven to 350. To prepare glaze, quarter the apricots in a medium sauce pan and
combine with chicken stock, honey, water, sugar, brown sugar, thyme, ginger, ½
tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cracked pepper. Over
moderate heat, bring to a simmer. Lower heat and reduce for 2 minutes. Remove
from heat and cool for 15 minutes.
2.
In
a separate bowl, combine pecans, remaining glaze, and ¼ tsp white pepper and
stir gently. Bake in an aluminum pie pan or 12” square of aluminum foil
liberally coated with pan spray on the lower rack of the oven for 15 minutes.
Allow to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes.
3.
While
pecans are cooking, prepare carrots (See Keys to Success), wash and damp dry.
Rub 1 Tbsp butter in an Earthenware or glass casserole dish. Lay carrots in the
baking dish with the tips pointing toward the center of the dish and away from
edges. Set aside ¼ cup glaze for later and pour the rest over the carrots. Bake
for 20 minutes.
4.
Remove
carrots from the oven and serve warm with pecans as a garnish.
Note
1.
DO NOT OVERCOOK! Err toward
crispy with a warm center.
