ROASTED CARROTS

The burnt oranges and shades of the turning trees in the autumn always point me to the colorful root vegetables dotting the stands at the Union Square Greenmarket. Carrots, in particular, are everywhere - in shades of purple, orange, red, and yellow. I never appreciated carrots with their sweet flavor until I started roasting them. Roasting carrots with honey, butter, and vinegar brings out their natural nuttiness and sweetness. Josh McFadden (chef/owner of Ava Gene's in Portland, OR) added this recipe to his latest book, "Six Seasons" and it's my latest obsession. Recipes like this, that require only a few ingredients, are the ones that I keep close at hand and should be in every home cook’s arsenal. With the holidays coming up, I strongly suggest adding a bit of this color to your table. The more variations of color you can find, the better. Fresh thyme to garnish works nice but I like to make a thyme oil to toss over the top.

INGREDIENTS

1 + 1/2 lbs of carrots, trimmed and peeled, and left whole

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons honey (forest honey is great if you can find)

1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

METHOD

Heat oven to 475 F. Place oven rack in the center.

Spread the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle over a tablespoon of oil and massage them to evenly coat. Spread them apart so none are touching. Roast carrots until they star turning dark brown in spots but not fully fork tender, at least 15-18 minutes (don't open the oven).

When cool enough, with a knife on a cutting board, cut the carrots on a sharp bias into 1/2 inch thick slices and transfer to a large bowl. Toss in the vinegar, salt, and plenty of pepper and let sit for 5 mins to soak up the vinegar. 

Spread them out on your baking sheet again, being sure to give them room to roast. Dot them with the bits of butter and drizzle on the honey. Roast about 5-7 more minutes until all the flavors start mingling. The vinegar will start to smell nice and lovely. Scrape the carrots and all the juices into serving bowl. Taste and add more salt if needed. Top with almonds and thyme oil if you like.