Carrots are some of the most faithful reliable members of the vegetable family. Usually sweet, they keep for long periods of time, taste excellent raw and blend their flavor companionably in hundreds of entrees and side dishes. They are satisfying on their own as a light snack or with some dip and they add crunch and flavor to the sometimes dull assortment of winter vegetables. Some times though it’s nice to give carrots their due and dress them up for special occasions, especially holiday dinners through out the winter months.

My dad, in spite of his farm background, or perhaps because of it, hated cooked carrots, and refused to try them raw. However, whenever I make this dish for him he eats it, and eats the leftovers the next day all the time exclaiming, “This is so good, this is really tasty, what did you put in it again?”

Ingredients

1 lb baby carrots

2-3 inches ginger root sliced fine

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup butter

1 cup raw almonds/slivered

It’s easiest to start with already peeled and washed baby carrots but you can use any kind. I prefer to cut a regular carrot on a bias. Make sure that all the pieces are the same size, and not too small, we want them to retain some firmness and texture, as well as nutrients.

Once the carrots are prepared, set them aside and toast the almonds. Use a little bit of butter in the bottom of a heavy bottomed wide saucepan. Over medium heat stir the almonds in the butter until they are browned on all sides. BE careful not to burn them or the butter. Set the toasted almonds aside and move on to the sauce.

In a saucepan, melt the butter and honey. Add the sliced ginger root, reserving about an inches worth for the steam water, and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes or so on the stovetop. Turn off the heat and let it sit together until you are ready to serve so that the ginger flavor continues to blend with the sauce.

Place the remaining ginger root in the steam water. (You can reuse the water later by adding it to cider or mix it with a simple syrup, equal parts water and sugar simmered over low heat until the sugar is dissolved, and soda water for a homemade ginger brew.) Give the carrots a quick steam, in the steamer of course. You want them to still be firm without being crunchy. They should be bright orange.

Remove the ginger root slices from the sauce and then add the carrots and almonds. Toss it all together to that the carrots are evenly coated with the sauce and then serve immediately while still warm.

I make this dish for almost every Christmas dinner. It is also quite good on its own with jasmine rice as a vegetarian entrée. However, I wouldn’t recommend it if you are trying to slim your waistline. There is too much fat in it.