More CSA Bounty... Carrots Redux

I've forgotten about carrots for years now.

I haven't considered the carrot as a worthy vegetable in its own right since the days when I worked in a restaurant kitchen in Santa Cruz, California.

Back then, at Oswald, we served roasted carrots with roast pork and fig jam, alongside garlic mashed potatoes. That was back in the '90s. The garlic mashed potatoes were probably a dead giveaway. Don't they just seem so old school?

Lately carrots are making a big comeback for me.

They've been showing up with quite a bit of regularity in our CSA bag, and I'm remembering that they don't have to be relegated to the stock pot. I've been cooking them up with a little butter and chopped shallots for Fe, and they are a hit.

Though what's really got me excited is the Carrot Salad with Cumin and Garlic recipe from Claudia Roden's Arabesque.

This is definitely one of the easiest recipes in the book. It takes no time at all. There really isn't much to it, but somehow it heats up your relationship with carrots all over again. Plus it pleases the whole family. Fe is a fan.

Carrot Salad with Cumin and Garlic

5 large carrots (about 1 1/4 pounds)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and black pepper

juice of 1/2 a lemon

Peel the carrots and trim the ends. Cut them in half or thirds crosswise and cut each section into quarters to produce sticks. Boil in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes until tender, but not mushy.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil and add the carrots, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute on medium heat, stirring or shaking and flipping, until the garlic just begins to color. Toss with the lemon juice and serve cold.