GLAZED CARROTS AND APPLES—with over-wintered carrots

Now that Farmer’s Markets are waking up from the long winter’s nap, but it’s a bit too early for the mounds of spring vegetables still in the garden—if you see a display of “Over-wintered Carrots”, you might want to grab some.  These will be last season’s crop—but careful “over-wintering” gives them a sweeter, deeper flavor.  Down our way, where the ground doesn’t usually deep freeze, the carrots are covered with hay or mulch and just left in the ground until early spring.  Where I grew up, we pulled them in the fall before the deep freeze, and layered them in crates of sand in the root cellar.  Either way, you get fresh carrots in spring—way before the summer harvest. Here’s a sweet and spicy, quick prep, carrot side dish.

• 3-4 cups cut-up, match-stick style carrots
• 1 apple, cored and sliced very thin
• 2-3 tblsp butter, melted
• 3 tblsp dark maple syrup
• Salt and pepper
• Paprika, to taste
• Cayenne pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients except apples, in large, rimmed sheet pan, or glass baking pan, and toss well to combine.  Roast in pre-heated 400’ oven for 10 minutes.  Remove pan and add apples—toss well.  Return to oven for another 10-15 minutes—until carrots are tender.

The Kitchen Hive