Carrots Please!

If I recall, it was only 3 days ago that I was ready to “lose it” if I saw any more carrots.  My sister and I bagged, filled, and moved heavy crates of carrots all day.

However, 3 days have passed and I am feeling less bitter towards the carrots.  It is time to move forward and highlight them in tonight’s meal.   Carrot Ginger Soup from Food To Live By (aka, my bible) caught my attention this morning while I was flipping through the pages.  The recipe sounded hearty, healthy, and extremely easy.  As it turns out, it was all of the above!  I decided to pair tonight’s main dish with a side of sautéed ginger baby bok choy.  We grow bok choy at the Farm and I have never tried it.  This seemed like the perfect side dish to the soup.   It turned out really well and I was lucky enough to have a good friend cooking in the kitchen with me.  Thanks again Tamsen!  Things would not have turned out as tasty if you were not helping in the kitchen.

Two happy cooks!

A very tasty meal!

Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe:

2 tbs canola oil

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 piece (3 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 1/4 pounds carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 4 cups)

5 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

pinch of ground nutmeg

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the carrots, stock, and orange juice.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let simmer until the carrots are very tender.  About 45 minutes

3. Using an immersion blender, (or in my case a food processor, I did the next step in batches) puree the soup in the saucepan.

4. Add the nutmeg to the soup and season it with salt and pepper to taste

5. Serve the soup hot and garnish with sour cream.  Yum!

Now onto the side dish.  Sauteed Ginger baby Bok Choy

6 heads baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise

2 tbs toasted sesame oil

1 tbs grated peeled fresh ginger

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Teriyaki sauce to taste

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.  Add 1 tbs of salt and the bok choy and cook for 1 minute.  Drain the bok choy well in a colander, then pat it dry with paper towels.

2. Heat the sesame oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the bok choy, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, turning occasionally, until the bok choy is crisp-tender and lightly browned on both sides.  About 5-8 minutes.  Brush the bok choy with teriyaki sauce and serve immediately.

Enjoy!