5 facts and an easy grill recipe – Small carrots from the European Fresh Team program

We won’t learn to whistle from it, nor will our eyes get better, but carrots are one of our healthiest vegetables (Photo: Pixabay)

The beet was already cultivated 5 thousand years ago. Its color at that time was crimson or purple, while in antiquity white, light yellow, red and dark purple versions were known. There was no orange version at that time. The orange color we know today is thanks to the Dutch gardeners who wanted to treat the royal family with a new type of vegetable in the 1600s.

What are baby carrots?

Baby carrots do not grow in the garden, but are “manufactured” from larger beets by chopping and grinding. It was invented by a California farmer in the 1980s to avoid wasting and throwing away large amounts of defective or gnarled vegetables. He shaped the carrots that were not suitable for market sale with a green bean cutter and then with a potato peeler, thus the baby carrot was born.

A natural multivitamin available fresh all year round

Carrots are a true natural multivitamin: they contain vitamins C, D, E, and K, as well as B vitamins. Among the minerals, it also contains calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and folic acid. Thanks to everything, it can contribute to the optimal functioning of the immune system and can also provide protection against some cancerous diseases. The important biological active ingredient of carrots is beta-carotene (it also contains other carotenes), which the human body converts into vitamin A. The antioxidant properties of beta-carotene are also important for the prevention of cancer. Beta-carotene is also a real guardian of the skin, because it protects against sunburn in the summer, and due to its free radical scavenging effect, it prevents skin aging, the appearance of wrinkles and pigment spots.

What is a good carrot?

It is always a good idea to buy carrots that are hard and free of soft spots, if possible with leaves, because the leaves are the most revealing about the freshness of the vegetable. You should definitely not buy rubbery, bruised specimens. The black color that appears at the junction of the root and the leaves can also help with the age of the carrot. Wrapped in a paper towel in the refrigerator, or in a cool, dark place, it can be kept for a week or two. In this case, it is worth cutting off the leaves of the carrot, because it takes moisture away from the root.

From appetizer to dessert, from lunch to main course

Carrots can be eaten in almost any form: raw, boiled, steamed, fried. What is fundamental about its use is that it must be peeled thinly, since most of its valuable nutrients are found in the husk tissue directly under the thin outer shell. When eaten raw, it makes a great dip for a snack between meals, and it can be a good component of any salad. It is also perfect as a base for cream soups, but broths and stews are also unimaginable without it. Its taste goes well with everything, so it can also be served as an appetizing side dish with various meats. You can’t whistling from it, but it’s still worth eating as a light, healthy vegetable. It can also be eaten as a dessert, and many types of carrot cake can be tasted today. Lili Fülöp, the dietitian of the European Fresh Team, prepared a grilled carrot recipe for the summer barbecue season. “Good news for carrot lovers is that we can provide our body with valuable antioxidants by eating them boiled or fried – with the addition of a little oil. The beta-carotene found in carrots is better absorbed as a result of heat treatment, so it’s worth taking advantage of the grilling season to put some of it on the grill.” – says the specialist. He adds that he boldly recommends this simple recipe to everyone, because you can’t go wrong with it! The undeservedly neglected delicacy of the summer grilling season is grilled carrots, which can even stand up as a stand-alone dish, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Recipe (for 4 people):

8 medium carrots
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric or curry
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Peel the thoroughly washed carrots and then cut them in half. We put them in a baking pan, pour over the spices mixed in the oil, and stir everything thoroughly. Put it on the grill and heat treat both sides for about 5 minutes each. When serving, we can offer a yogurt dip and a salad sprinkled with toasted seeds.