Photo by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
JP tells me that the final main season share from Glade Road Growing for 2017 will include about a pound of purple carrots, a fennel bulb a red sweet pepper and an onion. This combined with some potatoes and garlic would make a great pureed soup, but it would not take advantage of the visual of the purple carrots, so I decided on a salad instead. Mine includes lentils, so that it will make a whole meal.
The first of the purple carrots were available at the farm stand this past Friday. They were purple on the outside with an orange core (go Hokies, eh?), so I suggest shaving them lengthwise into ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
The photo above doesn't include the carrots (or the lentils), so let me give you an idea of what the carrot ribbons will look like in this photo by Marie (no last name given) of the blog Proud Italian Cook:
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Serves 4
Ingredients:
Salad
2/3 cups of lentils, cooked and cooled
1 trimmed fennel bulb, quartered and cut into very thin crosswise slices (reserve the stems and leaves to puree in smoothies)
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and cut in thin 2-inch slices
1 tablespoon minced onion
4 purple carrots trimmed and shaved lengthwise into ribbons
2 ounces of shaved Parmesan or Asiago, shaved into ribbons
Dressing
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 small garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoon of fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoon miso
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
1. To cook lentils, cover with 1 1/3 cups of water and bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Rinse until water runs clear. Add water to original level, add a bay leaf and return to a boil and then simmer until soft and water is absorbed. Remove bayleaf, drain if necessary and chill in the refrigerator.
2. While lentils are cooking, prep veggies and combine in a large bowl. When lentils are cool, add them and cheese and toss together.
3. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss with the salad and serve.
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions:
1. To cook lentils, cover with 1 1/3 cups of water and bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Rinse until water runs clear. Add water to original level, add a bay leaf and return to a boil and then simmer until soft and water is absorbed. Remove bayleaf, drain if necessary and chill in the refrigerator.
2. While lentils are cooking, prep veggies and combine in a large bowl. When lentils are cool, add them and cheese and toss together.
3. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss with the salad and serve.
