FTW Kitchen: Rainbow Carrot Salad

In your garden reading, you may have seen mention of the mythical “over-wintered carrot”. This impossible creature really does exist, and it’s delicious. To achieve this yourself, all you have to do is forget to pull your carrots up.

Winter means roasting, glazing and caramelizing roots, maximizing the depth of their flavor and sweetness, to warm the belly and still the mind. Over-wintered carrots wake up quickly with crisp water and extra sugar. A simple preparation will showcase the colour and vibrancy of your ingredients and your palette will thank you for a little crunch and variety.

Rainbow Carrot Salad

Serves 4

3-4 large heirloom carrots (red, yellow, dragon, purple, etc.), grated
1 can drained chick peas, OR your protein of choice (beans, toasted nuts, eggs any style, marinated flank steak, grilled chicken or fish, etc.)
1-2 spring onions, chopped
large handful tender herbs like cilantro, basil, roughly torn or chopped
1-2 cups baby greens, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar, or ACV
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Sautee garlic on medium-low heat in a little olive oil and add the drained chick peas. Raise heat to medium-high and fry, stirring once in awhile until the chick peas begin to get some colour.
Add to the salad while still warm, to help dressing ingredients meld.

Herby Avocado Smash

1-2 large or 3-4 small ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced (check youtube for videos on the easiest way to do this)
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1 handful cilantro, chives, celery leaves and parsley, roughly chopped (or whatever you’ve got)
1 tsp sea salt
lots of black pepper
2 TBSP cold pressed oil (olive, sunflower, walnut)

Smash all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Feel free to add chilies or jalapenos! Keeps, covered, for up to a week in the fridge—but is usually gone in 10 minutes.

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