Carrot

Description: One of the most commonly used vegetables and not surprising for they have a multitude of uses and a delicious flavour. Few people would fail to recognise the long orange root vegetable but white and yellow varieties are also available and the original varieties were actually purple in colour, the belief is that the orange colour was bred into carrots by the dutch. Carrots are a good source of carotene and vitamins A, B3, C and E but the concentrations of these nutrients are close to the skin so it is recommended that you scrub your carrots rather than peeling them.

In Season: June - December

Preparation: Where to start? Can be cut into sticks and eaten raw, a great snack for kids or used as a float for dips. Also nice grated in a salad or for use in coleslaw. For the gealth conscious among you they are extremly good juiced or used in a smoothy. Cut into diagonal slices and boil or even better steam as a side vegetable, very nice with a parsley-butter sauce. Cut into larger pieces and add to your caserole. Roasted with a little honey. An essential element of any good stock. A main ingredient in carrot & coriander soup and carrot cake. Cut into small cubes and use as an ingredient in spaghetti bolognese or cottage pie. I could go on.