Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Carrot Thinnings!!!


A few days ago, I harvested these "Nantes" carrot thinnings from my garden to use in a salad of greens (also from my garden, of course!). Each was the perfect length to use as baby vegetables -- about the length of my index or middle fingers.
I am definitely a fan of the more vibrantly colored carrots such as this for the interest they add to my cooking! While these little carrots would also be great steamed and served either in a ginger or brown sugar glaze, try them my favorite way:

After steaming the carrots, I add butter and whole cumin seeds, then toss them together -- so simple! The problem is that I don't really have a recipe per se. I am one of those people who cook by instinct. Even when I attempt to follow a recipe, I often find myself changing it in some way.

Here's my unsolicited advice:

When you bite into a whole cumin seed, it's such a different taste from the ground version, so substitution is NOT permissible! They are, to me, both sharp and peppery, with a "green" undertone. So, just chew a few seeds to get a feel for it before you add to your carrots. Unless you are a big fan of spice, you might find that adding whole cumin to your carrots is best as a "less is more" experience (as opposed to "the more, the merrier!") because you want the cumin to enhance the taste of the carrots, and not overwhelm.

OK - I could have said this a lot simpler: add a pinch or two!
So, the next time you are tempted to thin your carrots too soon, have patience and wait just a little bit to harvest these little edible gems! However you choose to eat them, I'm sure they'll be great!

16 comments:

  1. Hi Islandgardener, tq for stopping by my blog earlier. I love these little carrots. They look so sweet. I look forward to hearing more from you. Happy gardening!

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  2. Gorgeous carrots. I'm amazed how early your carrots and tomatoes have matured. Coastal Virginia is clearly the place to have a vegetable garden.

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  3. Big fan of roasted carrots, but these I'd have to snack on. Too cute.

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  4. Fab looking carrots ! I think I will try those at some point.

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  5. Love the color! I sowed carrots for the first time this year. I put them the ground about a week ago and I'm just now starting to see sprounts. Thanks for recipe. I never thought of putting cumin in my carrots but I'm going to try it. -Jackie

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  6. Carrots so thin like pencils... I am sure they taste sweet and crunchy!!

    I just thinned my spinach, just like you always thinking am i thinning them too soon!! ... haha..


    ~ bangchik

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  7. I enjoyed this post and now I am anxious to harvest some of my carrots and try them with cumin. Thanks for faving www.purlyeverlasting.blogspot.com
    mccbee

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  8. Hi! I've never seen such dark carrots and never tried carrots with cumin. Looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for stopping by MySecretGarden!

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  9. What lovely little carrots! I love seeing your photos because it's basically a preview of what's going on in my own garden. It seems like your climate down there on the shore puts you about a week ahead of us here in the DC area.

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  10. Those have to be the most beautiful gourmet carrots I've ever seen!
    Must show them to my spousal unit who grows and eats TONS of carrots each year. (p.s. he's bad about thinning) Alice

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  11. You are certainly right, graduallygreener, about the lag between us. Alice, show the spousal unit (my bro and I call those who spawned us our parental units, after the Coneheads...) the carrots as inspiration to thin!

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  12. Janet, do these carrots keep their colour when cooked? Could look really good with some other steamed veggies.

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  13. Those carrots are so perfectly straight! They must like the soil they are in. :)

    Thanks for the info on the unground cumin seed. I am growing it in the garden for the first time this year and can't wait to try them. I'll have to remember to toss some on my cooked carrots.

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  14. Yes, Vaiva, they keep their color!

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  15. I like them with butter, and a litte pinch of mint. Thanks for visiting my site.

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