Juicy Post: Forty Carrots

Carrots On The Table

Easter is my favorite holiday to celebrate, more so than Christmas or Thanksgiving.  It may be that, as much as I love winter (I realize that I am probably standing alone in the room with that seasonal preference), there is something irresistible about seeing the first brave blossoms, pots of herbs, and spring flowers in our farmers’ markets. And it is even better when the arcane Christian calendar gets the memo that Easter in mid-April is so much more joyful than Easter in March. Kitchen Detail’s inaugural post has one of my favorite menus  for Easter and, as you have read in this post, I have learned not to serve rabbit on the same day that we feature baskets filled with chocolate bunnies.

A Bit Of History And Myth

So for this April, I feel that it is safe to celebrate carrots.   Actually, their roots (pun intended) go back to Iran and Afghanistan, where they were grown for their leaves and seeds. The original bitter carrots  were black, purple, red, and white – the orange carrot was hybridized in the 17th century, some say, to honor the House of Orange in the Netherlands.  Carrots historically became a staple due to their stellar survival qualities in cold, dark root cellars and because they could be grown easily in home gardens.  Oddly, we Americans came late to the carrot party with soldiers returning from World War I. During World War II, the US government encouraged citizens to make carrots one of the Victory Garden staples. And the eyesight myth? That was from a much publicized cover story about RAF pilots’ ability to see in the dark.  It actually was one of many ruses used to keep the British discovery and advancement of radar technology a secret.  And even though carrot cake is almost as American as apple pie, it is China that is the largest producer and exporter of carrots.   Carrots are so commonplace that we often forget that they can bring something new and different to the table. Try any one of these carrot-centered creations; they are all unusual and delicious.

A Southern Take On Carrot Cake

Most carrot cakes have vegetable oil, nuts, and often shredded coconut, which makes for a very moist and sometimes dense cake.  This one is different.  I have  adapted it from Camille Glenn’s Heritage of Southern Cooking (if you want to purchase it, get the original version and not the later coffee table one). Since the Resident Wine Maniac is Southern and I am not, I have used this book many times to recreate dishes he loved growing up. My mother-in-law was an excellent Southern cook. Camille called her carrot cake Queen Anne’s Cake, after Queen Anne’s Lace, which is a valid carrot relative (no link to the unfortunate English Queen). It is light in flavor and texture – and can be made ahead.  She apparently used it for wedding cakes, so we know the batter ingredients can be easily multiplied. 

I never can find a a lovely cream cheese here, so have switched to mascarpone for the frosting. Sometimes I have split the sugar component to 50% Light Muscovado and 50% White Caster Sugar.  That makes a slightly more caramel flavored cake that’s a bit more dense than if you used just all white sugar.   If you have a good instant read thermometer (my choice is Thermapen), when it registers about 195-200, the cake is fully baked.

An Unlikely Marriage

Harissa and maple syrup? Yes, indeed, this is a felicitous marriage between North Africa and North America. While the original recipe is in the  Epicurious archives ( it’s onethat was  developed for Bon Appetit several years ago), we have fiddled with it to make it even more yummy.  It is one of those recipes that is so easy it should be one of your kitchen secrets. Rather than leaving the carrots whole, we normally cut them like French Fries. 

 My personal favorite brand of Harissa is from Moulins Mahjoub in Tunisia. We carried much of what they produced in the shop.  It is a family owned company in a rich agricultural area -Teboulba. While olive cultivation goes back thousands of years on their properties, they bring over a century of careful organic cultivation – and you can taste it in their products. Their couscous, preserved lemons  and capers are in my cupboard at all times. 

Carrots and Taleggio, Who Knew?

Why this particular recipe is referred to as a variation of tarte tatin is beyond my abiltiy to comprehend.  It is not remotely like a savory version of the Tatin technique.  But it is simple to make, unusual, and truly scrumptious – and pretty when made with rainbow carrots.  A lovely layering of puff pastry, Teleggio cheese, and colorful carrots. This particular version is inspired by a recipe my daughter in the UK uses from  a British vegetarian cookbook titled The Green Roasting Tin  by Rukmini Iyer. She is also a noted food stylist and hosts supper clubs in her home in London. 

Rather than presenting the carrots cut in half lengthwise, I prefer the trimmed and peeled carrots  to be cut on the diagonal and scattered across the cheese as thin ovals 1/8 inch or less. You can do this easily with a Santoku knife, chef’s knife, or Benriner. I cut off the Taleggio rind and slice the cheese in pieces a bit less than 1/4 inch. The Taleggio does not need to fit together like tiles, just place them so that they are about 1/4 inch apart in any order that you choose. The cheese melts together during baking.  If you have access to DuFour Frozen Puff Pastry, that would be my choice.  And it really is important to bake the tart long enough so that the bottom exterior of the puff pastry sheet is a deep golden color.