Valentine’s Day 2024

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without a menu of yummy carrot dishes.

Carrot Salad

3 T sesame oil
3 clove garlic, minced and sautéed
3 T rice wine vinegar
juice of one lime
zest of that lime
1 T soy sauce
1/2 T sugar
2 cups carrots, peeled into long curls using a peeler

from ncfieldfamily.org

Pasta with bacon and creamy carrot sauce

1 lb bacon
1 lb carrots
16 oz pkg orecchiette pasta or other funny-looking pasta
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 c. dill

 

 

Cook bacon
To make carrot puree: peel carrots, slice, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain, then use hand/wand blender, using some of the cooking water if necessary

Mix everything together.

savoryonline.com April 2023 p.55

Carrot Pie

Carrot Pie

3/4 container whipped dessert topping
3/4 c. carrot puree
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. maple syrup
graham cracker pie shell

Make carrots into puree, let cool.
Meanwhile, mix cream cheese, sugar, and syrup. Fold in puree, pour into pie shell, and freeze.

Valentine’s Day Cheese Tray

Valentine's Day Cheese Tray
Valentine's Day Cheese Tray

The rest of the dinner created by WWT had a carrot theme (Chicken and Carrot Fricassee, Carrot Cranberry Salad, Bacony Carrots and Green Beans, Pickled Carrots, Carrot Pudding), but the cheese course was cheesy with side carrots. All from Whole Foods:

Cupid’s Choice Camembert, Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, Old Chatham New York. Tasty, and we couldn’t resist the heart-shape of this one. Pasteurized cow’s and sheep’s milk. Our sparkling our New Mexico Gruet was a good match for this.

Cypress Grove Lamb Chopper, Cypress Grove Chevre, California. We agreed: “This sheep milk cheese is buttery in color and flavor with a long, complex finish.”

Blue Castello. Denmark. “This brie-like blue cheese from Denmark is made by Tholstrup, the same company that makes Saga Blue at its factory in the United States. Blue Castello is richer than Saga Blue and is made only in Denmark. Castello is a distant derivative of Italian Gorgonzola but has a higher fat content and a milder flavor. It is a perfect blue for those who like a little blue flavor without being blown away.”

The complete menu included Chicken & Carrot Fricasse, Carrot Cranberry salad, and of course, the annual carrot pudding.

Fun addition for the party: The Cheese Tasting Party Kit: Everything You Need to Host Your Own Cheese-Tasting Party.