As I like to say, being a good chef is 90 percent shopping and 10 percent not screwing up what you bought.
A shopping tip for carrots -- buy them with the greens attached! The color should be a very bright and vibrant green, and that's how you tell that they haven't been around for too long.
Then, the first thing to do when you bring them home is cut off the greens, because they will continue to feed off the roots and suck out moisture and nutrition. That doesn't meant you want to throw the greens in the compost. You're paying just as much for the tops as you are for the roots, so don't throw away that money. Instead, wash them well and add them to salads. You can use them as a garnish just as you would parsley. I even deep fry them and use them as a fried garnish. Or, consider making Arlyn Llewellyn's Carrot Top Pesto.
We're turning the carrots into a Moroccan salad that I learned from a French mentor of mine, Gisèle Masson. She loved to vacation in Morocco and just fell in love with it, and in turn, I fell in love with this salad. I still haven't been to Morocco, but if anyone wants to take me, let me know!
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:173]
Moroccan Carrot Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 orange
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine carrots, herbs and garlic and ginger and mix with your hands.
- Mix in olive oil and orange juice. Enjoy!