Volume 12, Issue 063 - March 28, 2007

Greetings Chef,

Today we will talk about carrots and asparagus. I want to talk about carrots first. They are always available and inexpensive. We grow our own in the early summer in Colorado. They also have a great shelf life, making them an even more desirable veggie to have around.

Carrots:

Carrots play an important role in the professional kitchen as it is one of the key ingredients in the mirepoix, a blend of onions, celery and carrots used to make many different broths and stocks for sauces, gravies, soups and more. It brings a natural sweetness to these items.

Carrots have a lot of carotene in them. Carotene gives the carrots their nice orange color. They are also high in dietary fiber, minerals and antioxidants. They are a healthy snack and you can find those peeled and carved mini carrot snacks now in all the stores. You can also find carrots in other colors including, purple, white, yellow and red.

Carrots are a root vegetable and they hold up well once cooked.

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Orange Spiced Carrots
This recipe plays on the natural sweetness of the carrots, and goes well with pork or duck.

Ingredients:

1 pound baby carrots, cooked
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Preparation:

Combine the marmalade, 1 tablespoon water, brown sugar, butter and seasonings in a 3 quart sauce pan and bring to a slow boil, making sure to dissolve the brown sugar.

Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into orange mixture and cook until thickened. Add cooked carrots and heat through. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Asparagus:

Asparagus has been prized by epicures since Roman times!

The name asparagus comes from the Greek language meaning "sprout" or "shoot," and is a member of the Lily family which also includes onions, leeks and garlic. Widely cultivated for its tender, succulent, edible shoots, asparagus cultivation began more than 2,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region. Greeks and Romans prized asparagus for its unique flavor, texture and alleged medicinal qualities. They ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.

Asparagus is a favorite of many chefs. It has an earthy flavor that goes with almost anything. It presents well and is colorful. Speaking of color, it comes in traditional green, a purple version originally from Italy, and white, which is done by denying the plants light, increasing the amount of ultraviolet light used during growing. The white is a classic component of any dish prepared "Oscar" style.

Care should be taken to not over cook asparagus as it will get mushy. I find that undercooked asparagus can be a bit bitter.

Asparagus is low in sodium and calories, has no fat or cholesterol. It is also high in fiber and potassium.

If you have nothing to do on the last weekend of April, go to the annual Asparagus Festival in Stockton, CA.

If you are not eating asparagus grown in the US, most likely it comes from Peru, the world's leading exporter.

California Asparagus Commission Asparagus...Sometimes nothing else will do! History, Nutrition, Storage Tips, Just for Kids and Great Recipes

Garlicky Pan Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
kosher salt
fresh cracked peppercorns
good aged balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a wide oven proof sauté pan just until the garlic starts to bubble. Add the asparagus and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for about 10 minutes until it is crisp tender. Remove from oven and plate. Drizzle with a bit of the balsamic vinegar and serve. A perfect match for beef or game meats coming off the grill.