I was blessed with two bunches of beautiful rainbow carrots in my basket from Suncoast Organics this week. The last time I had some, I pickled them with some daikon radish and made a lovely and colorful Vietnamese Do Chua. This time, I wanted to show the carrots off in a more “autumn-like” way. Few things say fall to me more than a big platter of lovely, caramelized, roasted root vegetables. And that happens to be my favorite way to enjoy them.
I recently saw a recipe using rainbow carrots on the web and it inspired me. The carrots were roasted and coated with a honey-mustard glaze. I decided to give it a try, with some modifications, of course. I swapped out the honey for some wonderful Vermont maple syrup that my nephew sent me. (He just started medical school at the University of Vermont and we are so proud of him!) I also added a splash of sherry vinegar to the glaze to balance out the sweetness and for a little extra oomph. Instead of pouring the glaze on the carrots after they came out of the oven, I added it during the last few minutes of cooking to give them a little more of that “sticky gooey” factor that I love so much.
Rainbow carrots don’t really taste much different than regular carrots. But, they look so darn lush and pretty that eating them just feels more special! So, if you can find some, give them a try. You can certainly make this recipe with any kind of carrots you have, or even with other fall vegetables like rutabaga, sweet potatoes or butternut squash. It’s all good!
