Purple Carrot





Colour me.
Purple carrots the next local “Super Food”

The newest, humblest super food, the purple carrot, centuries in the making.


Related to the wild ancient purple carrots praised by the Egyptians for their medicinal benefits. Afghanistan Royalty used them to die their robes, purple being the colour of Royalty. Purple carrots are filled with the potent antioxidant Anthocyanins, giving them such a royal colour.

It is said that the best way to benefit from this super root vegetable is to juice it, nice with a knuckle of fresh ginger by the way. They look quite elegant when just peeled, revealing tinges of their yellowish custard centre. The colour does bleed out into what ever they are cooked with, and surprisingly gives you a purple Shiraz smile.

They have a nutty earthy flavour, like beetroot; denser and meatier in texture than your average carrot. Add these princes of the earth to your roast veg selection, grate into vivid salads. Toss in the lunch box or make Psychedelic crudités and serve with some of Marco’s “The Mushroom Man” truffle salt and some potato garlic dip. They are sure to add a sense of dark drama to your next dinner ensemble.  Adelaidians can get their purple fix at the at the
  
Purple Salad w blood orange ginger and mint
A stunning salad for a touch of zest and zing to accompany you next roast or try it with a bowl of buckwheat infused with cardamom, finished with a dollop of yoghurt.
Wash and scrub carrots with a clean veggie only scourer.
Grate carrots and as much fresh ginger root as you like. Toss lightly in a bowl with a dash of lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt, grind of pepper, splash of extra virgin oil, blood orange zest and some juice, a few mint leaves and pile on a platter. Arrange some thin whole slices of blood orange, pith and all casually on top and finish with toasted fennel seeds, mint leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Let the salad sit for a minute and it will bleed red brilliance.

Purple carrots roasted w olives, cumin seed, lemon and parsley dressing.
 Purple and green should be seen. A dark side dish or room temperature antipasto, super with scoop of fresh curd.
Leave an inch or two of carrot stalks on top and Scrub your carrots, massage with olive oil, cumin seeds, a handful of large black local olives, sea salt and fresh ground pepper, place in a baking dish, bake in the oven till just cooked. Finish with a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, a squeeze of juice and handfulls of chopped Italian parsley

Marinated purple carrot
A gorgeous Mediterranean salad of substance, perfect as a part of a selection. Makes a glamorous bed for seared SA anchovy fillets and lemon, paired with a grate of fresh horseradish root mixed with cream friache.

Push scrubbed purple carrots through a food processor set to slice.
Marinate the sliced carrot with splash of apple cider vinegar, a few tinny Australian Sustainable capers, tangelo slices, pinch of fresh ground cinnamon, walnuts, fresh thyme sea salt, fresh ground white pepper, and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Let stand for 10 mins or more it stays quite crunchy. 









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