The soul of a carrot

What's the collective noun for carrots?  A bunch? A bunny? A crunch? A warren? In our house this week I think it's simply a bounty as this aptly describes the abundance of  the carrot patch. Beautiful orange carrots that are finally growing straight after years of working the soil to get very last rotten little rock and impediment to a straight root out of the way. They are not perfect, but they are pretty darn close and the taste is like nothing you buy in the supermarket. One of nature's superfoods they are full of polyphenols and carotenoids, but you don't actually need to know this to know they are good for you.

In his book 'In Defence of Food', Michael Pollan says you 'don't have to fathom a carrots complexity in order to reap it's benefits' [sic] and that 'we don't really know what is going on deep in the soul of a carrot' that makes just so delicious. 

What I do know is that eating carrots straight from the vegetable garden is just plain good for you. The sweet, crisp taste of a freshly harvested carrot falls into the category of food as medicine. Deep down in your own soul you just know it's doing you good.

The problem with all this bounty is the need to eat carrots...every day....twice a day at least. Some can be stored of course, but they are at their best straight out of the ground. That this abundance arrives at the time I have vowed to eat out the pantry just adds to the challenge. Never mind we are nothing if not creative.

This recipe was inspired by Stephanie Alexander's kohlrabi, carrot and cucumber salad with mint and peanuts from her book, 'Kitchen Garden Companion'. This is one of my 'go to' books for ideas to use up veg garden produce.

Carrot, celeriac and cucumber salad

2 to 3 medium carrots
1  large cucumber
1/2 a small celeriac root
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tbsp each thinly sliced coriander and mint
1 red chilli, halved, de-seed and slice finely
2 tbsp chopped dry roasted peanuts or cashews

Dressing

1 tsp panela (evaporated cane sugar) or palm sugar
1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice and 2 tbsp orange juice
1/3 tsp of yuzu paste* (about the size of a pea)
1 teaspoon good quality sesame oil
A pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Serves 4 as a side or 2 for a generous and healthy lunch

Wash vegetables and peel cucumber and celeriac. Make long thin ribbons of the carrot, cucumber and celeriac using a vegetable peeler. Place in a bowl, add salt and gently toss to coat. Leave for 30 minutes. Place in a salad spinner and spin out as much liquid as you can.

Tip vegetable ribbons back into a clean bowl.

Whisk dressing ingredients together and taste. Adjust seasonings and add sufficient dressing to vegetable ribbons to coat, but not drown. Add sliced chilli, mint and coriander. Toss gently to combine.

Mound vegetable ribbons on a platter, sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the top.

Serve straight away.

*Yuzu is a type of citrus originating in China. The paste is widely available in Asian supermarkets and has a unique citrus flavour which is reminiscent of grapefruit and mandarin. Beware it's a bit addictive, especially with duck!