Lacto-Fermented Carrot Sticks

You might notice that I don’t stick with some of the oft-given advice on how to ferment vegetables. After quite a few years of dabbling, many, many hours of research, and a general cynicism for the newer ways of performing this very old method of preservation; I don’t recommend refrigeration, don’t use a culture starter like whey, use a longer fermentation period, and don’t think you need any fancy equipment to achieve a tasty, healthy fermented vegetable.

Mostly because this is how the old-timers have done it, but also because the actual science behind the process of lactic acid fermentation backs them up.

Link is here

Lacto-Fermented Carrot Sticks

Note: Using a narrow-mouth quart jar is helpful for a ferment like this because it helps to keep the carrot sticks submerged. A wide-mouth jar also works, but isn’t quite as helpful in this regard.

The Players

• 1 – 1 1/2 pounds of fresh carrots, trimmed
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 cups of water, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons of sea salt (where to buy real American sea salt)
• one hefty outer cabbage leaf

The How-To

1. Make brine by dissolving the sea salt in water. If your water is cool you may have to heat part of the water in order to dissolve the salt. Then stir in the cool water and let brine cool to room temperature before using.
2. Place peeled garlic cloves in the bottom of a quart jar. Cut carrots into quarters lengthwise to the height of the narrowing of the narrow-mouthed jar. If using a wide-mouth jar, cut them so that they are about 1 – 1 1/2 inches below the bottom of the ring of the jar.
3. Place carrot sticks vertically in jar on top of the garlic cloves. Pack them in so they are snug, but not over-packed so that the brine can still penetrate the carrots.
4. Pour the 2 cups of brine over the carrot sticks so that they are completely covered by as much brine as possible, leaving a 1″ or so headspace between the brine and the lip of the jar. Add more water, if needed.
5. Place the hefty outer cabbage leaf over the carrot sticks and tuck it in to the sides as tightly between the carrots and the jar as you can. Keeping your carrots submerged with this cabbage leaf is one of the most critical part of the process.
6. Place the lid on the jar and close tightly. If using an airlock system place that on the lid according to the directions on the package.
7. Place at a cool room temperature, 65-80 being ideal, and allow to culture for 7-10 days or longer, as desired. You can also leave it at room temperature for a few days and then move to a cooler temperature (not refrigeration) of 45-60 degrees to complete the fermentation process over the course of several weeks for better flavor and a more thorough fermentation process.
8. During the earliest stages of fermentation you will have to “burp” your jar if not using an airlock. For best results do this only very slightly – just barely unscrew the lid until you hear a small amount of the gas escaping and then screw it back on quickly. You want to let just enough of the carbon dioxide out so that the jar won’t explode, but leave enough in so that you achieve as much of an anaerobic environment as possible.
9. Eventually the formation of carbon dioxide will slow down and you won’t have to burp the jar any longer.
10. You can eat the carrot sticks right away at this point or move them to cold storage like a cellar, a cool basement, a hole in the ground, or, if you must, a refrigerator.

Layered Potato Stew

Submitted by: Renee Tougas fatfreevegan.com
Recipe by: Mary McDougall

Servings: 4-6 hearty meal

Adapted from Mary’s original:

Vegetables:
8-10 potatoes, sliced
1 large onion/leek, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
Whatever vegetables you want, some ideas: Green beans, Cauliflower, Corn, Peas

You can add a mixed bag of frozen vegetables for easy preparation.

Sauce:
3 cups canned chopped tomatoes or 2 cups + 1 cup tomato sauce – flexible on what tomato product you want to use
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp basil (I used frozen basil cubes I made from summer’s abundance of basil – basil blended with a bit of water and frozen in ice cube trays)
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or less – adds a unique interesting taste)
2 tbsp parsley flakes

Layer the vegetables in crockpot in order given. Mix together ingredients for sauce and pour over vegetables. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10-12 hours.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Vegetable Barley Soup (brook219)

2.5 quarts vegetable broth, 1 cup uncooked barley, 2 large carrots, chopped, 2 stalks celery chopped, 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice, 1 zucchini chopped, 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans drained, 1 onion chopped, handful of frozen spinach, 3 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon white sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Pour the vegetable broth into a large pot. Add the barley, carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, garbanzo beans, onion, and bay leaves. Season with garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, curry powder, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese

Summer Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese
HeatherAReed via The Complete Southern Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package elbow macaroni

Veggies:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 cup chopped yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Cheese sauce:

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper OR a splash of hot sauce
• 1 1/2 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Toppings:

• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced
• 2 tablespoons dry seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain, cover, and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and set aside.
3. Place a Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the oil and butter.
4. When the butter is melted, add the broccoli, squash, carrots, onion, pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Remove the vegetables from the heat, and stir in the macaroni. Set aside.
6. To make the sauce: Whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Pour over the macaroni mixture, and add the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and ricotta. Gently stir to evenly coat. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
7. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.
8. Top with the tomatoes.
9. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and Parmesan over the top.
10. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving warm.

Recipe makes 8 servings.

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad

Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad Recipe

(source: Heidi at 101cookbooks.com)

I like to buy young carrots at the farmers' market - slice them slightly thicker than a banana chip for this salad.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots

more olive oil (or ghee) for cooking
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
3 cups cooked white beans
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil or a spoonful of ghee (I love ghee with carrots). Let them cook in a single layer - they'll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned. All told, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans as well heated through. If you are using beans that weren't canned you can allow them to brown a bit as well (just cook a bit longer, and stir less frequently) - they can handle this in a way that most canned beans can't. If you need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan - do so.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Serves 6 - 8 as a side.

Quinoa Summer Salad

Quinoa Summer Salad
~rls2007~

1 cup pre washed qunoa
2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
3 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup diced zuchinni
1/2 cup diced summer squash
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1-2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1-2 cups halved fresh mozzarella balls or 1 cup diced provolone cheese

Directions:

1.  Add quinoa, chicken broth and garlic to a pot and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy.  Set aside to cool.  Once cool, place in a container in the fridge until cold.

2.  Whisk together lemon juice, oil, vinegar and seasonings until combined.  Set aside.

3.  Chop all veggies and cheese and add to large bowl.

4.  Add quinoa to veggies and pour dressing over.  Toss until well combined.  Adjust seasonings as desired.

Slow Cooker Chicken-Barley Stew

From BabyCenter:

I made this chicken barley stew yesterday. It was a little heavy for summer but I've been sick for almost a week now and it hit the spot!  I will make this again, but I will tweak it a little.  I used boneless skinless breasts and would again. I thought it needed a little more flavor, so I would use 3-4 cups of broth next time. I would also add more seasonings - fresh dill, parsley (I didn't have any in the house this time), and basil maybe (I like all those things in chicken soup so imagine that's what I'd like here too). 

Slow Cooker Chicken-Barley Stew
G8R_mom2B via Betty Crocker 

3 large carrots, sliced (2 cups)

2 medium stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 bone-in chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb), skin removed

3 cups water

2 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

¾ cup uncooked medium pearled barley

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

·         In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, place carrots, celery and onion. Place chicken breasts on vegetables. Add remaining ingredients except parsley and thyme.

·          

·         Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours.

·          

·         Remove chicken from cooker; place on cutting board. Remove meat from bones and chop into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces; discard bones.

·          

·         Stir chicken, parsley and thyme into stew. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 10 to 15 minutes longer or until chicken is thoroughly heated.

Pioneer Dinner SLow Cooker Recipe

Pioneer Dinner Slow Cooker Recipe (4Kowboys)


The Ingredients.

serves 6 

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-inch chunks

1 yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 brown baking potatoes, chopped in 2-inch chunks (I don't usually peel)

4 Italian-flavored sausage, sliced in 1-inch pieces

1 cup beef broth


The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Layer the ingredients into your cooker in this order: carrots, onion, potatoes, and sausage. Pour the broth over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the vegetables have reached desired tenderness.

Carrots in Almond Sauce

Carrots in Almond Sauce
(Taste of Home)

1 pound carrots julienned (I am usually lazy and just slice them ;)
1/2 C. thinly sliced green onions
1/4 C. butter or marg. (I use a bit less)
1 t. cornstarch
1/2 C. chicken broth (may use water + bouillon)
1/2 t. dill weed
1/8 t. pepper
1/4 C. sliced almonds, toasted

Cook carrots only until tender-crisp. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl and keep warm. Saute onions in butter until tender. Combine cornstarch and chicken broth until smooth and stir into onions. Add dill and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat anc cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in almonds, stir into carrots to coat. 6 servings

Rosanna's Amish Carrot Layer Cake

Rosanna's Amish Carrot Layer Cake

Christine0120 via Rosanna herself

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

1/2 packed cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1LB carrots (about 5 medium) peeled and grated fine

4 cups cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place rack in center of oven. Grease and flour two 9 inch pans and line the bottom with wax paper.

Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugars together until the sugars are mostly dissolved and the mixture is frothy. Slowly whisk in the oil, until thoroughly combined and emulsified. Slowly whisk in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Stir in the carrots. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all of the sides are clean and incorporated into the batter. Give it a final stir with the spatula and scrape into the cake pans. Smooth the tops and tap the pans on the counter to get out any air bubbles in the batter.

Bake for 25 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes outwith just a few crumbs attached.

Let the cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edges to loosen the cake, then flip them out onto a wire rack. Peel off the wax paper and flip the cakes right side up and let them completely cool before frosting. (About 2 hours)

Cream Cheese Frosting

Do not use low fat ingredients (results were very runny mess)

2 8 ounce packages cream cheese softened

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks at room temperature

2 tablespoons Sour Cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups (8 ounces) confectioners sugar

Beat the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, vanilla and salt on med high for 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium low and slowly add confectioners sugar until incorporated. Bring speed back up to medium high and beat 4-6 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Add 1 cup of frosting to one of the cakes, making an even layer. Then add the other layer to top. Frost the cake first with a thin layer of frosting (crumb layer) and refrigerate until layer is slightly firm. Then add the rest of the frosting so you have a nice thick covering with no crumbs.

Press toasted chopped pecans along the outsides, leaving the top with just the cream cheese frosting.

Frosting can be made up to 3 days in advance. Let frosting stand at room temperature until softened, and beat with a mixer for 2 minutes before frosting cake

Carrot Orzo

Carrot Orzo

sadie_love via Epicurious

• 6 ounces peeled baby carrots (about 1 1/4 cups; from 16-ounce package)
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta; about 8 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

Place carrots in processor. Using on/off turns, finely chop carrots. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo and carrots; sauté until orzo is golden, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, broth, and garlic; cook uncovered over medium heat until all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Stir in cheese, green onions, and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Six Part Plant Salad

Six Part Plant Salad
Cyndy (MyPB&Jelly)

1 head Romaine lettuce
1 carrot, grated
1 apple, chopped
1 small head broccoli, cut into bite size florets
1 stalk celery, sliced
¼ cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions
1. Wash all vegetables.
2. Tear lettuce into small pieces. Place in large bowl.
3. Add grated carrot, chopped apple, florets of broccoli, celery slices,
and sunflower seeds to bowl.
4. Make dressing by combining all ingredients in a small container with
a secure lid. Shake until well mixed.
5. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently.

Carrot Soup

CARROT SOUP
OP: Girl in the Swing

1 clove garlic
2 leeks (white part only) chopped
a few teaspoons of butter or olive oil 2 T Olive Oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and sliced
1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced (optional) 1 medium
3 cups of vegetable stock, or 1 boullion cube and water 3 cups chicken broth (low sodium, fat free)
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds Didn't use fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger I omitted the ginger
1/2 cup of milk I forgot to add the milk
salt and pepper (or better paprika) to taste

Sautee the leeks and garlic in the oil/butter until tender.
Place them in a pot with all other ingredients, except the milk and salt/pepper.
Cook over low heat, until the carrots are tender. Check every 15-20 minutes and add water if needed.
Let the soup cool enough to handle and then puree. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Before serving, bring the soup to a boil again, add the milk and mix well.