Carrot uses, avocado care, and next week

Hello:

It's a gorgeous Friday in Watsonville and I wanted to share 3 things with you:

1) uses for any possible Carrot Fridge Backups
2) Avocado Care
3) Sneak Peek at Next Week

Carrot Backups? Some households easily go through their carrot allotment, others find them piling up in the fridge. I am going to post a few carrot recipes below to inspire you to make room in your fridge this weekend. It's a good goal at any rate. I hope I can follow my own advice! :-) Please do post your own favorite carrot recipes. thank you. -julia

Carrot Cake! What's not to like?
This recipe is adapted from Too Many Tomatoes... by Lois Landau

Sift together in a large bowl:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix together and add to dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Add to batter:
2 cups grated raw carrots
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped nuts

Pour all this into a greased bundt pan and bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Or use greased 13 x 9 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes.

if you like: frost cake when cool:
Cream together:
8 ounces room temp. cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups butter at room temp.

(help! any lighter creamcheese frosting recipes out there!?)

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Gingered Carrot Casserole
adapted from Too Many Tomatoes... by Lois Landau

Saute together:
12 medium carrots cut in 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup butter

Mix, then stir into the carrots:
1/2 cup light cream (half and half?)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Place into buttered casserole, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Carrot Preparation Tip Andy learned long ago while delivering vegetables for Star Route Farm to Chez Panisse (I'm talking over 20 years ago!):

Andy ran into a high school friend who was interning at Chez Panisse (this would have been sometime in the 'early 80's) and she had mouthed off and therefore was put onto Carrot Jullienne Patrol, at least that's the way Andy tells the story. He remarked he didn't care for cooked carrots, recalling unfortunate huge chunks of cooked carrot in his grandmother's mutton stew. His friend taught him to always GRATE the carrots when adding to a soup or stew: they give flavor and body and heft and vitamins, but no unfortunate floating mushy chunks.

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Sweet Carrot Salad
adapted from 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat by Ellison & Gray

1 1/2 cups shredded raw carrots
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh preferred)
1 teaspoon grated root ginger
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Grate the carrot into long, even shreds, in a food processor if available. Measure the mustard and honey into a shallow serving bowl. Mix in the lemon juice. Grate the root ginger finely into a little pile, then pick up and squeeze it, so it's juice runs into the mustard mixture. Discard the fibers. Turn the grated carrot in the dressing until it is evenly coated. Add peanuts. Season with S & P if necessary and or desired. Serves 4.

AVOCADOS:

some of you got them in your box a few weeks ago, the rest got them this week. We ship them hard, they aren't ready to eat yet. You can store them in one of the following ways:

1) to ripen the fastest: place in a paper sack and leave at room temp. eat when slightly soft when you gently squeeze.

2) leave at room temp without the sack. Eat when slightly soft when gently squeezed

3) store in your fridge: they will still ripen but not as fast.

Sneak Peak for next Week:
June 20th through 22nd. Steve and Andy may change this list, check back on Monday and Tuesday of next week in case of changes; Please do email me or post here your "what I'd do with the box" ideas! thanks. -julia julia at marquita dot com

Radishes
Spinach 1 bunch
Collard Greens OR Spigariello Greens
Onions
Gold Beets
Oregano
Romaine Lettuce
Cauliflower
mystery