IF you're like 94 per cent of Australians you will have purchased carrots on the past month. It's the country's most frequently bought vegetable ahead of tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower. The beauty of the carrot - unlike say a bunch of asparagus or a bag of baby spinach - it's that it lasts a while in the crisper so it means there's always (relatively) fresh vegetables at hand. You can grate it for coleslaw to go with barbecued chicken, slice it into batons and cook them in butter until just crisp to serve alongside tender lamb cutlets, or make Indian spiced fritters with a refreshing raita on the side. Carrots are also the one of the trio of ingredients the Italians call soffrito. This magical little flavour combo, which includes saluted onions and celery, is the starting point for soups and a sauces.
Or, if you're bored with straight potato mash, add some carrot, a little honey and a sprinkling of sesame seeds and serve it with a roast or meat straight off the barbecue. Honey, sesame and carrot mash Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Skills: Basic 6 (800g) large carrots, peeled, diced 2 large (350g) sebago potatoes, peeled, chopped 1 tablespoon milk 40g butter, chopped 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted Place carrot and potato in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return vegetables to pan over medium heat. Toss for 1 minute or until excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Using a stick blender, blend until smooth. Stir in milk, butter and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. Recipe by Sarah Murphy from Super Food Ideas. Photography by Andrew Young
