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Valentine’s Day 2018

We had a good carrot meal over several days:

Herbed Carrot, Cheese, and Lemon Dip

Serve this dip with crudites-it’s a cinch to put together quickly.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream or drained plain yogurt
1 cup grated carrots
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons each minced fresh parsley and chives or scallion tops
Salt, Pepper

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream, stirring the mixture until smooth. Fold in the carrots, lemon juice, lemon peel, herbs, and salt and pepper. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

from:
The Big Carrot Book
Georgia Downard

We served ours with Di Bruno Bro. Crostini Artisan Crackers
www.dibruno.com

White-on-White Salad

Preparation: 5-10 minutes
Serves: 4

Here’s a tart, tangy, tasty salad easy to whip up and certain to please. Crunchy orange carrots contrast with pale soft pears and stark white chewy cheese curds, all blended together with tangy yellow lemon juice and topped by a dash of perky brown nutmeg.

2 large carrots, grated
1 cup large curd cottage cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium can pears, drained
Salad greens
Dash nutmeg

In a mixing bowl, combine the carrots, cottage cheese and lemon juice. Set aside.

Cut the well-drained pears into quarters and then into eighths, being careful not to crush them. (Reserve the juice for a breakfast drink.)

Place the pear pieces on the salad greens. Arrange the mixture on top, sprinkling each serving with a dash of nutmeg.

The Carrot Cookbook
by Audra & Jack Hendrickson

Carrots with Almonds & Horseradish

Serves 4

1 pound carrots, cut into thin strips
1 cup beef stock
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons horseradish, minced
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper

Simmer the carrots in the stock until just tender. Drain, reserving the stock.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring. Add the reserved stock, season and bring to a boil, stirring. Mix the egg yolks with the cream and stir into the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the horseradish and almonds. Finally, fold in the carrots. Serve hot.

MICROWAVE METHOD: Place the carrots and hot stock in a casserole dish and cook on High for 8 minutes, or until just soft. Drain and reserve the stock. Place the butter in a jug and cook on High for 30-40 seconds. Stir in the flour, then gradually stir in the stock until thickened, stirring 2-3 times. Mix in the eggs and cream and finish as above.

from The Carrot Cookbook, edited by Nicola Hill

Simmered Carrots and Chicken Breasts

Preparation: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Cooking: 45-60 minutes

Nutritionists counsel us that white chicken meat is one of the best kinds of protein we can eat. It is low in cholesterol, low in fat, and low in calories – all of which goes double for carrots, which have no cholesterol, no fat, and even fewer calories.

3 chicken breast halves
Dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2-1 cup stock
2 cups carrot coins
1/2 cup chopped fennel
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Remove the skin and fat from the chicken, roll the pieces in the bread crumbs, and set them aside. Heat the oil in a heavy, covered pan, and brown the chicken pieces on both sides. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside.

Lower the heat and add 1/2 cup of stock and stir to blend it well with the pan juices. (Add the re­mainder of the stock later if the chicken gets too dry as it cooks.)

Now arrange the chicken pieces, the carrot coins, and the fennel in the pan, cover tightly and simmer until the chicken is done and the carrots are tender.

Hawaii Macadamia Nut Carrot Cake

Makes a 7-inch square cake
3 large eggs, separated
l/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup minced carrots
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
l/2 cup all-purpose flour
l/2 teaspoon baking powder

Well grease a 7-inch square cake pan.

Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and creamy. Stir in the carrots, hazelnuts and lemon rind. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold it in. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, then carefully fold into the mixture.

Turn the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake in a preheated oven, 350F, for 40-45 minutes, until the cake is just firm to the touch. Let stand in the pan for about 2-3 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool.

(adapted from The Carrot Cookbook edited by Nicola Hill)

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Eclipse 2017

Today we saw a partial solar eclipse from the roof of AKT’s building.  There were a lot of people there to watch it.  It was not a total eclipse, but pretty nice anyway.

I build a box with a pair of binoculars in it to project the image of the sun onto a piece of paper.  Yes, NCSU packing tape was used in the construction.

WWT’s box

This is the business end of the box:

box objective
box objective

We, of course, had a picnic with sandwiches and cheese:

akt picnic
akt picnic

Here is an image of the sun and moon as the eclipse was just starting:

img of sun
sun1

Then the eclipse started progressing:

image 2
sun 2

The eclipse progressed a little more (I’m not an artist):

image 3
image 3

Others started getting into the act.  Catie is an artist:

cat img
cat

AKT added one also:

angel
angel

You can also use a colander to project images as if it were a lot of pin-hole projectors:

The result looks nice:

colander images
colander images

Others (don’t know who) got into it:

beard
beard

And there was this:

fangs
fangs

Everyone had a good time.

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Valentine’s day 2017

Carrot orange soup

2 medium leeks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 pounds carrot — trimmed, peeled, chopped
1 clove garlic
4 cups broth
2 small oranges
2 tablespoons yogurt — Greek
1 tablespoon chives — chopped for garnish
salt to taste

Trim roots from leeks. Remove tough dark greens. Split leeks lengthwise in half, and rinse well to remove any dirt or grit. Roughly chop the white and light green portion of the leeks. You should have about 2 cups.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped leeks. Cook and stir until leeks are soft but not brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in carrots and garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 4 cups broth. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until carrots are fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Finely grate orange zest into the soup. Then, squeeze the juice from the oranges and add the juice to the soup. Puree the soup in the pan using an immersion blender. (Alternatively, puree the soup in small batches in a blender. Return the soup to the pot.)

Heat pureed soup to a simmer. Add additional vegetable broth or water to adjust the thickness to the texture of a light cream soup. Season to taste with salt. Serve in warmed bowls topped with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chives.

Serve in warmed bowls topped with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chives.

Carrot Pudding – Gajar ki Kheer

1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups milk
3 cups carrots — peeled and grated
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 cup almonds — slivered blanched
2 tablespoons oil — or butter

Soak the saffron threads in 1/4 cup hot milk.

Peel and grate the carrots. In a large saucepan, boil the remaining quart of milk, sugar, cardamom, almonds, and butler over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the gated carrots and mix thoroughly, cooking for 15-20 minutes, until the mixture thickens and the carrots are glazed and sticky. Pour the saffron milk over the mixture and stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve warm or cold.

Croque Monsieur Mac and Cheese

1/2 pound pasta — ziti or macaroni
1 1/2 cups carrots — diced and cooked
2 cups milk
2 cups gruyere cheese — (about 6 ounces) grated
1 cup parmesan cheese — (about 4 ounces) grated
2 large eggs
3 slices white bread — roughly diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter — plus more for greasing
1 medium onion — diced
1 clove garlic — minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 Pinch cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg — freshly grated
Kosher salt
8 ounces ham — thinly sliced deli-boiled or bacon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; toss with 1/4 cup milk.

Meanwhile, combine both cheeses in a bowl. Beat 1/4 cup milk and the eggs in another bowl; fold in the bread and add half of the cheese.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, 2 minutes. Cook the carrots with them. Sprinkle in the flour, cayenne, nutmeg and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Slowly add 3/4 cup water and the remaining 1 1/2 cups milk; bring to a boil, stirring until thickened. Remove from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese, then add the pasta and toss.

White-On-White Salad

2 large carrots — grated
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium pear — sliced or canned pears drained
2 cups lettuce — salad greens; boston lettuce is good

In a mixing bowl, combine the carrots, cottage cheese and lemon juice. Set aside.

Cut the pears into quarters and then into eighths.

Add the pear pieces to the carrot mixture and toss carefully to blend. Arrange the mixture on the salad greens and serve at once, sprinkling each serving with a dash of nutmeg.

NOTES : Here’s a tart, tasty salad to whip up and certain to please. Crunchy orange carrots contrast with pale, soft pears and stark, white chewy cheese curs, all blended together with tangy , yellow lemon juice and topped by a dash of perky, brown nutmeg.

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Happy Valentine’s Day 2015

The wind was howling in the country this year, and there was a layer of snow on the ground. But it was warm an cozy inside.
Carrot cocktails

 

Carrots in Paradise Cocktail. We found straight carrot juice to be a bit boring, so W made it easier with Dole’s Paradise Blend: Carrot, apple, pineapple, grape and passion fruit all together. The ginger gives it a punch. Carrot stick garnish is a must.

Carrots in Paradise Cocktail
Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
1              ounce  vodka
4             ounces  Dole Paradise Blend
1              whole  lime wheel — garnish
1              whole  baby carrot stick — garnish
1           teaspoon  ginger — grated, fresh

Add juice and vodka. Shake well for approximately 10 seconds then pour over ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and carrot stick.

Carrot cocktail

Carrot Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce. Inspired by Spicy Peanut, Carrot and Snap Pea Wraps on My Recipes. Cute carrot dip dish is from the Kensington Thrift Shop.

Carrot Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce
Serving Size  : 4     Preparation Time :0:00
Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
SAUCE
1/3           cup  peanut butter — crunchy
2        tablespoons  soy sauce
1         tablespoon  chili paste — red curry paste
1              whole  lime juice
Rolls
1/2           cup  carrots — julienned
1/2           cup  sugar snap peas — trimmed
8              whole  rice papers — small, round

Make the sauce; you can do ahead.

Wet the rice papers in a pie plate for 20-30 seconds before rolling.

Add carrots and peas to paper; roll.

Place in a dish; cover with a wet paper towel and saran wrap if you want to eat later.

Carrot Coleslaw

Crunchy Asian Carrot ColeSlaw. Of course, W thought this would have been better with Bacon. Many recipes use two packages of noodles, but one worked fine with this amount. He had it at the family Thanksgiving dinner 2014, and he just knew it would be better with more carrots. Great leftover.

Crunchy Asian Carrot ColeSlaw Salad
Serving Size  : 8     Preparation Time :0:00
Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
1            package  ramen — 2.8 size
1/2           cup  almonds — slivered
1/3           cup  sunflower seeds
1/2          head  cabbage — shredded; 4 cups
2             medium  carrots — shredded; 1.5 cups
DRESSING
1/4           cup  cider vinegar
2/3           cup  canola oil
1/2       package  ramen seasoning
1           teaspoon  Dijon mustard

Prepare the salad dressing. Combine cabbage, carrots, seeds and  nuts in a large bowl. Mix well and serve cold. Good if you can let it marinate for awhile.

Carrot Casserole

Macaroni and Cheese with Carrots. New dish adopted from Food & Wine. It was vegetarian, but W added Italian sausage / ground pork to make it a meatier main dish. I think he also added some extra cheese — in honor of his cheesy roots.

Carrot Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe By    : Jeremy Fox, Food & Wine
Serving Size  : 6     Preparation Time :0:30
Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
3/4         pound  carrots — peeled and thinly sliced
1              whole  orange — juice and zest
salt — for water
9             ounces  penne pasta — 3 cups
3             ounces  sharp cheddar cheese — shredded; 1.5 cups
1                cup  sausage — ground; browned

In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots with the zest and juice and 1/4 cup of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until the carrots are very soft, about 30 minutes. Discard the zest. Transfer the carrots and any liquid to a blender and puree until very smooth. (You can do this ahead.)

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved water and the carrot puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is coated with a thickened sauce, about 5 minutes. Stir in three-fourths of the cheese and cook, stirring, until very creamy, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Transfer the pasta to a medium baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Carrot Pudding with Ricotta

Carrot Pudding. This has been the traditional dessert since 2008, but this year there was a twist: A dollop of ricotta cheese to garnish. Good as ever. Great leftover — even for breakfast.

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Valentine’s Day dinner 2014

The table was set:
table

First, the raclette:

raclette

  • Emmentaler cheese
  • carrots
  • cornichons
  • radishes

Melt the cheese and layer over the other items.

Then, there was the cocktail:

drink

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 2 oz carrot juice
  • 1 oz apple cider
  • grated ginger
  • lime juice

Next, the white bean chili with carrots:

chili

  • 2 cups white beans, picked over and soaked overnight
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground thyme
  • 1/2 tsp ground oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp veg. oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 4 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, and chopped
  • shredded carrots
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cut freshly chopped cilantro

Drain the beans, put them in a large pan and barely cover with fresh water.  Bring to a boil, boil hard for 5 minutes, the reduce heat to a simmer.

Mix the spices, herbs, seasonings, and flour in a strong plastic bag.  Add the chicken cubes and toss them until they are evenly coated with the spice mix.  Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet and saute the onion and celery for 6 minutes.  Add the vegetables to the beans.

Heat the remaining oil in the cleaned skillet and cook the chicken, turning often, until all sides are lightly browned.  Add the chicken  to the beans with the chicken stock and chilies.  Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are tender, adding water or chicken stock if the chili looks too dry.  Add the carrots.  Add salt to taste.  Sprinkle in the cilantro just before serving.

And the Thai salad:

thai_salsd

  • 1 pound  carrots — peeled  /cut into thin strands / or grated
  • 1/4 cup  unseasoned rice vinegar
  • juice of 1 lime — about 2 to 3 tablespoons
  • 1 tablespoon  lime zest — grated
  • 2 tablespoons  honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon  hot red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups  spanish peanuts — coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup  crystallized ginger — julienned or regular ginger
  • 1/2 cup  pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/4 cup  cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons  chopped fresh mint

Place the carrots in a large mixing bowl.  Blend together the vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, honey, and red pepper flakes.  Add the dressing to the carrot mixture and let stand for about 14 minutes. Toss in the remaining ingredients at the last minute.

And, of course, the pudding:

pudding

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups finely shredded carrots
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Beat eggs.  Add sugar and milk and blend.  Add remaining ingredients and mix.  Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until firm.  Makes 6 servings.

Which made for one happy girl:

happy

 

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I met Buzz Aldrin

Angela got us into the National Press Club event where Buzz Aldrin was talking about his new book.  Angela purchased a book for me, and I had him sign it.  I thrust my hand out to him, and we shook hands.
I shook hands with the second person to walk on the moon!

buzz