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¼ cup ketchup

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and blanch until tender crisp, about 3 minutes. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking, then drain.

2 Combine the ketchup, water, oil, vinegar, sugar, shallot, garlic, soy sauce, and ginger in a blender and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

3 Transfer the carrots to a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

The World Carrot Museum

Thanks to the Internet, museums don’t have to be brick-and-mortar affairs that one visits on vacation or on a school field trip. The World Carrot Museum, a virtual museum curated by John Stolarczyk, has dozens of pages of photos of carrot-abilia from collectors all over the world, including plates, teapots, pitchers, carrot scrapers, key rings, refrigerator magnets, corkscrews, knives, badges, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, and more. Carrot history, recipes, nutrition, festivals, trivia, science experiments, jokes, cultivation tips, and so much more are found in this engaging “museum.” This is possibly the single best vegetable site ever. Visit it for yourself at www.carrotmuseum.co.uk.

Carrots in Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 4–6

Freshly harvested carrots are so perfect in flavor and texture it is a shame to do anything more to them than peel and eat. But, as carrots are stored over the winter, the sugars that made the carrots so sweet when freshly harvested, are slowly turned into starch. Then it is time to play with the flavor and try a recipe like this one.

1 shallot, chopped

½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons orange juice

¼ teaspoon dijon mustard

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 Combine the shallot, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, mustard, and ginger in a blender and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl.

2 Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and blanch until tender crisp, about 3 minutes. Drain.

3 Transfer the carrots to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4 Let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Thai Vegetable Salad

Serves 4

“Eat locally, spice globally” is one of the rallying calls for people who are concerned about the carbon footprint of their foods. They are talking about a dish like this one, simply made with locally grown root vegetables but transformed into an exotic dish with the addition of Thai sweet chili sauce. This traditional Thai condiment, found wherever Asian foods are sold, is also wonderful as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and grilled chicken. I also use it in a cabbage salad (page 61).

1 pound daikon radish or 1 large turnip, peeled and cut into matchsticks

½ pound carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1 tablespoon salt

¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce

1 Combine the daikon, carrots, and salt in a colander. Toss to mix. Let drain for 1 hour. Rinse well.

2 Transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Add the chili sauce and toss to coat. Let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Kitchen Note: Early in the fall, turnips are crisp and sweet enough to be used interchangeably with daikon radish. Later in winter, turnips are best in recipes where they are cooked.

There’s no getting blood out of a turnip.

— Frederick Marryat (1792–1848)

My Asian Pantry

My first cooking job was in a tiny upstate New York Chinese restaurant. I had taken the waitressing job as an opportunity to eat Chinese food; I was moved into the kitchen after I proved to be a lousy waitress. In the kitchen I was exposed to a world of Chinese ingredients, and that has made all the difference in my cooking. Here’s what I always have on hand.

Chinese Chili Paste with