As a kid cooked carrots were on my no-fly list. Viewed with suspicion I profiled anything orange and made sure it received a full prodding with my fork before it was allowed off the plate. Chalk it up to bitter peels, varieties that sat in the supermarket for weeks without spoiling, or perhaps even mushiness, but cooked carrots were not a welcome sight at the dinner table. Then, years later when living with my grandparents while attending graduate school, I had a cooked carrot revelation.

Not only did my grandparents introduce me to the fine pleasures of lamb, aged scotch, and Meyer lemons, but a dish of simply cooked carrots changed my view of the orange root vegetable forever. The carrots were first steamed, then simply sauteed with tarragon, butter and a touch of honey until they sported a beautiful glaze. To my utter surprise I loved cooked carrots.

In the years since I have made a side dish of cooked carrots more times than I can count. When young carrots are in season at local farmer’s markets they beg for stand alone treatment. Nothing is better than a carrot so tender it doesn’t even require peeling. This method allows you to watch the carrots closely and avoid overcooking. Adding in a bit of brightly flavored fresh coriander (mine is the result of cilantro gone to seed in the garden) and a squeeze of lime takes the carrots straight into summer. Honey adds sweetness and when melted with butter it transforms the liquid into a flavor packed glaze. You can tweak the recipe to use whatever herbs and citrus you have on hand. Tarragon and lemon, rosemary and orange, go wild with the combinations! If you ever have viewed cooked carrots with suspicion I encourage you to give them a second try.

Glazed Carrots with Corriander and Lime Print Recipe

Serves Serves 4 as a Side Dish

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb Carrots, tops trimmed off, peeled if tough skinned
  • 2 cups Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Corriander Seeds and Leaves (or Cilantro)
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
  • Salt and Pepper (adjust to taste)

Cooking Directions

Place a large skillet with lid over medium heat. Add the carrots and water. Bring the water to a simmer then cover with lid. Steam the carrots for 12-18 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a fork. If necessary add more water, 1/2 cup at a time, to maintain the steam.
When the carrots are just tender, remove the lid. Add in all remaining ingredients and cook until the liquid is reduced to a sticky sauce, glazing the carrots.

Flood Update

This week marks the start of a dropping river level. It will take several months for the water to recede and the river to return to its banks. We are all hoping that the groundwater follows close behind and that we reach ‘normal’ levels before the ground freezes. After three months of daily fighting it is starting to feel like we survived the worst and that it is time to put back the pieces. Neighbors are tearing down sandbag walls, picking up debris, and moving furniture back in. Right now it looks like we will be able to move everything back into our house sometime after Labor Day.

As the adrenaline of fighting the flood wears off we are finding ourselves exhausted from the summer. I am so grateful to have an undamaged home to move back into. Many, many others are not as lucky. Our present situation could be so much worse that it seems petty to complain at all. Yet at the same time it was bad enough to take a physical and emotional toll on all involved. Mostly I am ready to sit on a couch instead of folding chairs, to watch TV, and to find joy in being creative again. With the coming of fall I am optimistic that life will return to a new ‘normal’ by the end of September or October.

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