Spring Carrot Pickles Wcaraway Food

PICKLED DILL CARROTS

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Pack the carrots and dill sprigs into a 1-quart jar.
• Make the brine: Combine the vinegar, 3/4 cup water, the sugar, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, the dill seeds, caraway seeds and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Pour the hot brine into the jar and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week.

SPRING CARROT PICKLES WITH CARAWAY

Steps:

• Place the carrots and caraway seeds in a bowl or jar.
• In a large bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, sherry vinegar and sugar. Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat and add to the vinegar and sugar mixture. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the salt and stir well. Pour over the carrots and caraway, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating and for up to 2 weeks. These taste best with a longer brine, as the caraway has more time to infuse the brine. Shake the jar from time to time or, if you use a bowl, place a saucer on top of the carrots to keep them submerged. Remove from the brine with a slotted spoon to serve.

MAKE-AHEAD TURKEY AND SWISS SANDWICHES WITH CARROT SLAW

Steps:

• For the carrot slaw: Mix the grated carrots with the vinegar, mayonnaise, chives, parsley, caraway, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl.
• For the sandwiches: Lightly toast the bread. Prop the bread against something and let it cool upright so that the steam does not make it soggy.
• Lay out the bread and generously slather with mustard. Divide the turkey equally among 4 slices of the bread and the cheese evenly among the remaining 4 slices. Top the turkey with the carrot slaw and pickles, then invert the bread with the cheese over top to make 4 sandwiches. Wrap each sandwich in wax paper and refrigerate for up to 4 hours until ready to serve.
• Cut the sandwiches in halves or thirds before serving.

SPRING CARROT PICKLES W/CARAWAY

Steps:

• 1. Place the carrots and caraway seeds in a bowl or jar. 2. In a large bowl, combine the rice wine vinegar, sherry vinegar and sugar. Bring the water to a boil, remove from the heat and add to the vinegar and sugar mixture. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the salt and stir well. Pour over the carrots and caraway, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days before eating and for up to 2 weeks. These taste best with a longer brine, as the caraway has more time to infuse the brine. Shake the jar from time to time or, if you use a bowl, place a saucer on top of the carrots to keep them submerged. Remove from the brine with a slotted spoon to serve. Advance preparation: These will be good for a couple of weeks. They're best left in the brine for at least 5 days before serving.

CARROT & CARAWAY CRACKERS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt, and cook for 6 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic and caraway seeds and cook for 1 min more, then add the carrot and veg stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 12 mins.
• Once the carrots are completely soft, drain them (reserve the liquid) and blitz to a smooth purée - add a tbsp of the reserved stock initially, but use more if necessary to get the desired consistency. Season and leave to cool. The purée can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.
• To serve, spoon the purée - or, if you want to be extra fancy, transfer it to a piping bag and pipe it - onto the oatcakes and top each with a little dill and a veg crisp.

BUTTERY CARAWAY CARROTS

Steps:

• Peel the carrots and trim off the ends. Cut in half lengthways, then cut on the diagonal into slices about ½cm thick. Place the carrots in a steamer basket and steam for 5-7 mins until softened, or place in a heatproof bowl with a little water and microwave on High for 3-5 mins.
• To finish the dish, gently heat the butter in a frying pan. Tip in the caraway seeds and cook for 30 secs until they start sizzling. Add the carrots and stir into the butter until glossy and heated through, about 3 mins. Toss through the parsley and serve.