Did you know that carrots didn’t appear in their well known orange color until the 17th century? It’s true. Carrots prior to then were described as yellow and red. Now we find heirloom varieties of carrots as red, yellow, orange, white and even purple.
The orange carrots have an abundance of carotene, and is part of why carrots are so popular in this form. I personally love rainbow colored carrots. All I was able to find at the farmer’s market last week was yellow and orange varieties. Even then, these were rare in late July.
I made these amazing marinated carrots with lots of the veggies I picked up at the Farmer’s market and some leftover peppers. The important part of this salad is the overnight marination.
The original recipe calls for a cup of sugar. I cut it down to 2 tbsp of agave nectar. I still found it to be quite sweet, but the sweetness helps balance the vinegar.
Recipe: Marinated heirloom carrots
Summary: Adapted from: Cooking with Heirlooms – Grandma breach’s marinated carrots
Ingredients
- 3 cups heirloom carrots (the more colorful the better), sliced
- 3 whole green onions, sliced
- 3/4 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 whole tomato, diced
- 1-2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place carrots in a large saucepan full of water.
- Cook carrots until just tender, drain
- Mix olive oil, vinegar, agave nectar, mustard and salt and pepper.
- Pour mixture over carrots.
- Refrigerate covered overnight, stir occasionally.
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegan
Number of servings (yield): 6
Have you ever tried non-orange carrots? What did you think?
My hubby can stand the yellow ones, but I think the other kind are a little odd to him. I’m a big fan of the purple ones.
I'm an engineer, an animal lover, a runner and an ex-rower. I like medical devices, big ships and mountains. This is my journey teaching myself to make healthy foods and explore the world of vegan and vegetarian cuisine.
Gorgeous! I’ve only ever had the orange kind of carrots, but these look stunning.