Cooking with Fresh Carrots from The Garden

When it comes to gardening, we love to plant and grow our own carrots.

Carrots are an important vegetable because they are high in beta-carotene, a substance that is converted to Vitamin A by our bodies. Beta-Carotene is an antioxidant that may help to fight cancer, brain and heart disease.

Carrots come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and even colors. I like to grow the classic carrot, which is long and slender.

When it comes to cooking with carrots, you need to properly prepare the carrots ahead of time. The first thing that you need to do is remove the root and stem. I wash my carrots under cool running water using a vegetable scrub brush to remove any stubborn dirt. Once finished, I lay them on a cotton towel to air dry.

You can use fresh carrots in: baked goods, soups and stews, casserole dishes, healthy drinks, salads, and as a side dish with dinner.

Here are 3 easy recipes that you can make using fresh carrots.

Basil Glazed

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. water
• salt
• 1 lb. carrots, sliced
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. basil

In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp. of butter, water and 1/4 tsp. of salt until butter is melted. Mix in the carrots. Cook over medium heat, covered, until tender. Transfer to bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter to the frying pan and heat. As soon as the butter starts to sizzle, add the sugar. Shake the pan a few times and add the carrots and basil. Saute over medium heat, tossing the carrots until glazed. Season to taste.

Chilly Dilly

• 1/2 lb. carrots, sliced
• 2 tbsp. Italian salad dressing
• 2 tbsp. Ranch salad dressing
• 2 tbsp. onions, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. minced dill
• 1 1/2 tsp. minced parsley
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• dash of pepperbsmall saucepan. Cover with water. Cook until crisp-tender; drain. Place in a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over carrots and refrigerate for 6 hours.

Cheesy Carrot Casserole

• 4 lbs. carrots, cut into 1/2″ slices
• 1 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• 11 tbsp. butter, divided
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 10 oz. processed cheese, cubed
• 5 1/2 c. day old bread, cubed

Place carrots in a large stock pot; cover with water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Set aside. In a large saucepan, saute onions in 4 tbsp. butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, celery salt, mustard and pepper until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted. Add carrots and stir to coat! Transfer to a greased baking dish. Melt remaining butter, toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the carrots. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

The Author:

Shelly Hill has been working from home since 1989 in Direct Sales. You can visit Shelly online at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com