FOOD MATTERS

Focus Food

What are carrots?  Carrots are a common orange vegetable enjoyed by both children and adults. Carrots are also a member of the parsley family and were grown in New England as early as the 1600s. Carrots are normally available from July through February. Second only to beets in their sugar content, carrots are a sweet vegetable.  Carrots are naturally low calorie, fat-free, low sodium, and cholesterol-free. Carrots are also an excellent source of vitamin A with 427% of the daily value in one cup and a good sources of potassium with 7% of the daily value.² The deep yellow to the deep orange color of carrots indicates that they are an excellent source of carotene, which your body turns into the antioxidant vitamin A. This antioxidant can help protect cells from damage and defend against certain cancers and potassium helps keep blood pressure under control. Carrots are available year-round. The best way to store carrots is in the refrigerator, placing them in a plastic bag with tops removed.  The tops will absorb moisture from the carrot and cause it to shrivel. Carrots can last like in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Do wash carrots just before preparing them.

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Selection: To find the best carrot look for a well-shaped, smooth, firm, and crisp carrot with deep color and fresh green tops. Avoid soft, wilted or split carrots. Small carrots are more tender than large ones. If you choose carrots with their green tops, make sure that they are green, not wilted and enjoy—carrot tops are not poisonous (as frequently thought).  Some folks actually consider carrots (with their tops, a 2’fer since the tops can be used in salads and pesto). Carrots can be enjoyed raw or cooked. To enjoy raw carrots, peel the carrot and then cut the carrot into chunks about 3 inches long. Next cut the carrot chunks into sticks or into quarters. Carrot sticks are a colorful addition to a vegetable platter. To make raw carrots easier to chew, briefly steam or microwave them until they are tender. To cook carrots, begin by peeling and cutting carrots into quarter-inch slices. Steam until crisp-tender (8 to 10 minutes for 2 cups). To steam, bring an inch of water to a boil and place a colander or a collapsible steaming basket in the pot. Put the vegetables in the colander or steamer and cover it tightly. Reduce heat to medium-low, but make sure that the temperature is high enough to keep the water bubbling.  Cooking carrots does make the anti-oxidants more easily used by your body and is a great addition to the roasted veggie salad as seen above. 

Food for Thought

At Nourse Farm we want folks to have a healthy relationship with food so we offer these resources where agriculture, nutrition, food preparation and people come together. Since we all eat food, let's become more connected with our food system together.  Visit us on the farm or at Veg Out, our very own plant-based food trailer, because food matters when we are able to make smart choices for healthy bodies and a healthy planet.  With CSA member support and the partnership with Framingham State Dietetic Interns, we put together a collection of recipes, including the nutritional analyses a Nourse Farm cookbook. It can be downloaded here. If you use one of our recipes, lettuce know what you think. For our younger audience who visit Veg Out, be sure to ketchup on your reading at the Book Nook with a variety of fun titles featuring food, farms, and fun. And if you’re interested in our inaugural food and farm education series for youth this summer, please visit our registration page with the Westborough Recreation Department. Click on this link.

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