Carrots

I've been pulling up big bunches of carrots for several weeks and there are still plenty in the garden to last a while. Pulling the bright orange roots from the ground is always a lovely surprise, like stumbling upon buried treasure. Carrots are high in vitamin A and beta carotene, the substance that makes them orange. The carrot is also high in fiber, calcium, potassium, and other trace minerals. I often dust off the soil and eat the sweet, crunchy, raw carrots right in the garden. Last night, however, I simmered them on the stove top in enough water to cover. While they were cooking, I added olive oil, butter,  about 2 tbsps. of brown sugar, and a handful of chopped fresh dill. Once the carrots were cooked and the water had evaporated, the carrots simmered in the butter, oil, and brown sugar until they were slightly carmelized. I served them with grilled chicken and basil pesto, and yellow squash, corn, and scallion saute which made for a colorful summer meal!