April 2015
The association of orange and carrot is so fundamental, it surely exists on many a flash card as a color lesson for children. “What is orange?” the teacher asks enthusiastically. “Cawwots ahre owange,” small voices cry in unison (R’s are really hard!).
However, carrots used to represent the whole rainbow. Though apocryphal, the story has it the Dutch cultivated orange carrots as an homage to William of Orange, and the average person will eat 10,866 of those orange carrots in his lifetime (see statistic here). It’s high time to taste the real rainbow!
When I find wildly colorful, natural foods, I am inspired! How do I best channel those hues and intense flavors? I’ll share my wilder responses soon, but for now, let me start with a very simple rainbow carrot recipe. Roasted in coconut oil, the sweetness of these carrots really emerges, making them almost dessert worthy. For a wholesome treat, give your pup the nubby ends of the carrot after roasting rather than tossing them from the start.
Here’s to tasting the REAL rainbow!
-Quelcy
Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Ingredients
2-3 Tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
2 lbs organic rainbow carrots, rinsed (if not using organic, be sure to peel)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brush coconut oil over a stone baking pan. Arrange carrots on the pan, avoiding overlap. Roll the carrots in the coconut oil. Use a brush if necessary to make sure they are sufficiently coated. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until soft. Serve warm.