Rosemary Roasted Carrots

I like roasting pretty much any vegetable at a high temperature. Browning things in a super hot oven with olive oil, garlic and herbs just works reliably well. Carrots are surprisingly good made this way, especially when they are served all on their own. The best part of these are the crispy slightly blackened edges. This give them a subtle smokiness that pairs really well with the strong flavor of rosemary. I diagonally sliced them so they would have as much surface area for browning as possible.

Rosemary Roasted Carrots

12 large carrots (sliced diagonally)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder (fresh garlic will often burn)
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Peel and slice the carrots and dry off any excess moisture. Toss with the rosemary, spices and olive oil. Roast for ten minutes and use a spatula to flip them over. Check every ten minutes, for a total of about 30 minutes. The cooking time will depend of the size of your carrots, but the edges should be slightly brown and crisp.

Feast

I will be back soon with recipes for this amazing and easy Italian Pot Roast and crispy Rosemary Roasted Carrots. Cheers to a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend!

Scenes From Today…

I wish I could thank the person who had the foresight to plant crisp white camellias and a shock of the brightest pink rhododendrons in the cool shady corner of our nearby park. It was clearly the right choice and made me smile on my morning walk.

Apricot and Honey Smoothie

I am a little obsessed with the honey at our farmer’s market. The changeable wildflower flower is probably my favorite. They have so many kinds and each one tastes really different and like something instead of just being cloyingly sweet. The people from the apiary are always eager to let you to taste the different varieties which is: a) always a good sign and b)fun for food nerds like me. I don’t normally sweeten my smoothies, but this needed a little oomph. The flavor of the apricot still comes through with just a touch of honey and nutmeg.

Apricot and Honey Smoothie

1 fresh apricot
1 cup coconut milk (or any milk you like)
1 tsp honey, plus a drizzle for the top
pinch of nutmeg
1/3 cup of ice

Blend until smooth!

Scenes From Today…

Gah, today was just a perfect Sunday: farmer’s market, a stroll around town and some cooking planned for later. I needed a jar of honey from the market, but everything was looking appealing today despite arriving later than usual. This is how I ended up with over four pounds of various squash and zucchini to roast for three people.

Somehow, J has managed to never have eaten a fresh apricot. What?! So, we had to buy some, especially since we are in apricot country now. These were perfectly ripe and juicy. My great grandmother used to drink apricot nectar with her breakfast. The taste of these brought back those weekend memories when she would let me have a sip. As a child, I was fairly sure her breakfast choice was the height of sophistication. It was nectar not juice after all.

I still can’t get over the fact that there is jasmine blooming everywhere right now. I just love how the scent is so heavy in the air that I often smell it before I see the cascades of little white flowers. Sometimes it is so nice to just make time to do not too much. Although, I have cooking plans tonight. I am making a dairy free version of this recipe for baked sole. I am sure I will write about it eventually. Maybe, I will even break my addiction to iPhone photos and bust out the real camera. (Probably not, the iPhone addiction is strong and my desire for a return to better photos is weak. Sorry.)