By Chela Cooper
Carrots are a perennial favorite of kids and cooks alike. Carrots are crunchy, sweet, and delicious both raw and cooked. They are perfect as a healthy snack, a tasty side dish, or as part of a salad, wrap or sandwich. One serving of carrots is ½ cup, and is an excellent source of vitamin A. Carrots also contain vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium.
Carrots are a root vegetable that store well in the fridge for long periods. This year at Great Kids Farm, we planted carrots in early autumn and harvested them in December. After the winter holiday break, we’ll be shredding and packaging the carrots and sending them out to Baltimore City School cafeterias for service to students during school lunch as part of our Farm-to-Cafeteria program.
At Great Kids Farm, tasting freshly harvested veggies is a component of student visits. In October 2015, about 200 students participated in the annual Good Food Summit, and had the opportunity to do some taste testing for school cafeterias. In partnerships with Baltimore City Schools Food and Nutrition Services, students tasted a few new lunch menu items, including orange and ginger glazed carrots, which turned out to be a crowd favorite.
Since the full recipe for the school cafeteria yields 100 servings, we thought we’d share this scaled-down version to make at home. This makes a great side dish for a holiday meal. The recipe can be doubled for a dish big enough to bring to a community potluck or large family gathering. Kids can help with measuring ingredients and mixing things together.
On behalf of everyone at Great Kids Farm, we wish you a holiday season full to the brim with mirth and warmth, and a very happy and healthy new year.
Orange-Ginger Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger powder
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1 pound frozen carrot coins*, cooked according to package directions
Directions:
- STOVETOP: Combine the first four ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the ingredients are well combined and the glaze is warm. Remove from heat and set aside.
MICROWAVE: Combine the first four ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 seconds, then stir to combine ingredients. Continue heating on high for 30 seconds then stirring until the mixture is warm and all the ingredients are well combined. Set aside.
- In a large serving dish, combine the cooked carrots and the warm glaze. Toss gently to coat all the carrots in the glaze. Serve warm.
*Frozen carrot coins can be found in bags in the freezer section of the grocery store. If you have fresh carrots, slice them into ¼ inch thick “coins”, then steam or boil before combining with the glaze.