Carrots Recipes

Carrot cascadeO beautiful, tasty carrot! Nash’s is renowned for our sweet, crisp, flavorful carrots. Enjoy them raw, or try out a few carrot recipes.

Sausage Bean Pasta Ragout

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Nash’s ground pork sausage
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked beans (kidney, pinto, black)
4 teaspoons dried basil, or 1 cup fresh
3 teaspoons oregano
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1/2 cup macaroni
2 cups fresh greens (kale/chard/spinach/arugula/cabbage)
1/3 cup grated romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: grated beets, carrot, and turnips

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 6 minutes. Add sausage and sauté until brown, breaking up meat with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, broth, beans, basil, oregano, and dried crushed red pepper. (Optional: add grated beets, carrot, and turnips too!) Simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to bite, about 15 more minutes. Add greens and cook just until wilted, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in 1/3 cup cheese and more fresh basil, if you have some. Season ragout with salt and pepper; ladle into bowls. Serve, passing additional cheese separately.

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Roasted Vegetable Bisque

1 bunch leeks, quartered
2-3 turnips, cut into 1″ cubes
2-4 carrots, quartered
2-4 stalks celery, quartered
1 bulb garlic, raw, cloves separated, paper and skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cups broth (whatever kind you prefer)
1-2 cups water

Place prepared vegetables and olive oil in plastic bag and toss to coat evenly. Place on ungreased baking sheet and spread out so they don’t touch. Roast 15 minutes at 425 F, turn over, and roast another 15 minutes until golden brown (caramelized) on both sides.
Transfer roasted vegetables to soup pot. Add broth and enough water to cover vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. With ladle or measuring cup, transfer soup to food processor or blender and puree until smooth (may have to do in batches).

Serve in soup bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Serves 4.

We thank Chef Annie McHale of Port Angeles for this recipe.

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Napa Cabbage & Quinoa Salad

Napa cabbage

Napa cabbage is excellent for salads because of its crisp, lacy texture.

1 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon raw honey
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 head Napa cabbage
1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
1 carrot, grated
1-1/2 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled

In a blender, mix basil, walnuts, lemon juice, vinegar, honey and oil until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine cabbage, spinach, carrot, and quinoa. Pour dressing into salad mix and toss until evenly distributed.

We thank Chef Annie McHale of Port Angeles for this recipe.

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Glazed Carrots and Brussels Sprouts Sauté

table carrots in bulk

It’s easy and delicious to make food choices depending on what is being harvested now. Eating seasonally means you get the freshest produce with the smallest impact on the environment. Try this carrot-and-Brussels saute and taste how sweet these carrots get!

1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound cleaned Brussels sprouts
3/4 cup chicken or veggie broth
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Blanch carrots in salted water for about 4 minutes. Remove and cool. Blanch sprouts for about 5 minutes. Drain and hold separately. Refrigerate if making ahead.

Bring stock, butter, brown sugar, vinegar and salt to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is reduced to about half. Add carrots and shake pan to coat them. Cook for about 6 minutes. Add the sprouts and pepper and cook 4 minutes more, stirring or shaking until all is coated thoroughly. Serve immediately.

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Health Benefits of Carrots

table carrots in bulk

Eating carrots on a regular basis has many health benefits. Here are some of them:

Improved vision
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A is transformed in the retina, to rhodopsin, a purple pigment necessary for night vision. Beta-carotene has also been shown to protect against macular degeneration and senile cataracts.

Cancer prevention
Studies have shown carrots reduce the risk of lung cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer. Falcarinol found in carrots is a natural pesticide produced by the carrot that protects its roots from fungal diseases. Carrots are one of the only common sources of this compound. Studies show that this nutrient helps fight cancer.

Slower aging process
The high level of beta-carotene also acts as an antioxidant to cell damage done to the body through regular metabolism, and helps slow down the aging of cells.

Healthier skin
Vitamin A and antioxidants protect the skin from sun damage and prevent premature wrinkling, acne, dry skin, pigmentation, blemishes, and uneven skin tone.

Immune system support
Carrots are known by herbalists to prevent infection. They can even be used on cuts – shredded raw or boiled and mashed.

Heart health
Studies show that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease. The regular consumption of carrots also reduces cholesterol levels because the soluble fibers in carrots bind with bile acids.

Cleansing
Vitamin A assists the liver in flushing out the toxins from the body and reduces the bile and fat in the liver. The fibers present in carrots help clean out the colon and hasten waste movement.

Tooth and gum care
Carrots clean your teeth and mouth. They scrape off plaque and food particles just like toothbrushes or toothpaste. Carrots stimulate gums and trigger a lot of saliva, which being alkaline, balances out the acid-forming, cavity-forming bacteria. The minerals in carrots prevent tooth damage.

Stroke prevention
People who eat more than six carrots a week are less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate only one carrot a month or less.

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Kitchen Sink Potato Salad

russet potatoes

Imagine all the colors swirling around this potato salad like confetti!

Salad
7-8 soft potatoes, boiled, sliced, and peeled
1 large beet, boiled, sliced, and peeled
2 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
5 garlic scapes, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dijon mustard
Salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Combine the two with a spatula.

Refrigerate until cool.

Adapted from Betty Lou’s World Famous Potato Salad.

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Roasted Root Vegetables

root medley - parsnips, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips, rutabagas

A melange of tasty and nutrient-rich roots!

About Nash’s Root Medley
Root vegetables each offer their unique nutrition profiles, but all of them are packed with nutritional benefits because of the extended time they spend in the ground. The more nutrient-rich the soil they are grown in, the more nutrient-packed these power houses will be, and you can’t beat the Sequim-Dungeness Valley for nutrient-rich soils!

A root medley is a great way to have an easy, colorful, and nourishing vegetable option for your winter dinner. Wrap roots loosely in a plastic bag and they will last for a few weeks in your fridge. Potatoes are best stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. According to food energetics, root vegetables provide a grounding and relaxed energy. Give them all a try and see how they make you feel! Another huge plus: no need to peel these root veggies as most of the nutrients are near the skin. Just scrub with a brush. You can find five-pound bags of Nash’s organic root medley at our Nash’s Farm Store.

Roasted Root Veggies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice beets, potatoes, rutabagas, and sunchokes to 1/2-inch cubes and slice the carrots and parsnips to 1/2-inch rounds.

Place all vegetables into a casserole dish and drizzle with olive oil or melted butter (You may need a second dish so that your vegetables are all in one layer to cook evenly). Sprinkle with any herbs or spices of your choosing and mix to ensure oil or butter covers all the roots. Cover your dish with with a lid or tin foil if you desire vegetables that will be more moist and tender. Leave your dish uncovered if you desire more crisp veggies. Roast until fork-tender, about 40-50 minutes.

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Nash’s Kale Slaw

Nash's red kale, bunched

Want some color in your cole slaw? Try kale slaw instead!

1 bunch Nash’s red kale, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 small red or walla walla onion, minced
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper

Stir together the kale, carrots, and onion in a very large bowl; set aside. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, and stir thoroughly, making sure to coat the vegetables very well. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours before serving.

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About Nash’s Best Carrots

CarrotsThe carrot’s ancestors came from the area around Iran and Afghanistan. They were domesticated and grown more for their aromatic leaves and seeds, not the roots. They are related to dill, coriander, fennel and parsley, other plants noted for their leaves and seeds in cooking.

Carrot roots have almost no starch, but they do have sugars and some varieties can be quite sweet. The bright orange comes from beta-carotene, an important precursor to vitamin A. Carrots are also rich in antioxidants and minerals, and aid digestion and elimination.

Carrots, especially Nash’s Best, are delicious raw, but studies show you get more beta-carotene if the carrots are cooked lightly. They are one of the primary vegetables used in mirepoix, the basis of many sauces in French cuisine. You can steam, mash, sauté, roast, and even grill carrots. They can be candied, grated into salads, added to cookies, cakes, soups, stews and quiches. They are one of the most versatile of vegetables!

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