At the Sebastopol farmers market last weekend, I was dazzled by Armstrong Valley Farm’s carrots. The just-harvested colorful gems — white, orange and purple — ranged in size from about the first joint of your little finger to what we would typically call a small carrot, about 4 inches long.
“The orange ones are really sweet, too,” farmer Tom Noble told me when I asked if the white carrots were the sweetest, which they typically are. I gathered up a big bag of them and headed home, feeling like I’d won a jackpot at some earthy casino.
These carrots grow in a hoop house, where temperatures can hit 80 degrees, even at this time of year. Still, they must have benefited from out recent cold snap: It is these low temperatures that turn carrots, and a range of other vegetables, sweet.
Several other market vendors have great carrots right now, too, but only Tom Noble has the tiny ones. He sells at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, located in the west side parking lot of Luther Burbank Center, of the Arts on Wednesday and Saturday.
Carrots are one of the things we can eat with abandon, unless you happen to be on a diet that restricts carbohydrates. But carrots are low in calories and high in vitamins and micronutrients. They also please almost everyone, including young kids who are picky eaters.
I’ve adapted today’s recipes to work with Tom Noble’s carrots. For more carrot recipes, including for Algerian carrots, carrot risotto, fettuccine with carrots and black olive butter and fabulous carrot fritters, visit “Eat This Now” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.
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There are countless versions of glazed carrots with ginger, but most recipes I’ve seen are a tad too sweet for my taste. The addition of a fair amount of honey or brown sugar eclipses the natural sweetness of the carrots; this version contains just enough sugar to coax the carrots and the ginger into blossoming.
Glazed Carrots with Ginger and Peppercorns
Makes 4 to 6 servings
11/2 pounds very small carrots, trimmed and scrubbed
— Kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground white peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted, crushed, and strained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, optional
If the carrots are very small, leave them whole. If they are not, cut them into 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices.
Set a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, sugar and ginger and stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt and add the vinegar.
Add the carrots to the pan, turn them to coat them in the butter mixture, reduce the heat to low and cook gently until the carrots are tender, about 13 minutes.
Stir in the peppercorns, taste, correct for salt and sugar balance and add the cilantro, if using. Tip into a serving dish and enjoy right away.
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This dish is simple, delicious and flexible. Use just one of the herbs, omit the feta or add some chopped black olives. It is always a crowd pleaser, especially when you use really great carrots.
