Roasted Carrots with Dill

Roasted Carrots with Dill

Adapted from Tori Avey (The Shiksa in the Kitchen) by Blue Heron Kitchen

Root vegetables - sweet and low down. While you can, buy them at your local farm stand or farmers market. Buy them loose wherever possible. Selecting your own carrots is empowering. (Those orange bags are upsetting.) Buy organic carrots. Carrots are a perfect vegetable.

What I like about this recipe is how the fresh, green-dill-burst lifts the sweet earthiness of roasted carrots. They’re a great addition to a roasted vegetable platter and are perfect accompaniment to fish or fowl. They’ll be gorgeous next to beef ; and I love them with frittatas! 

Why not audition them now as a new addition to your Thanksgiving feast. The color contrast is stunning. They’re light and not as rich as most Thanksgiving sides. For a delicious variation and stunning presentation roast both carrots and parsnips. 

with a smile and song,

jane

Roasted Carrots with Dill

Ingredients:

2 lb. whole carrots (I prefer young medium-sized carrots with greens still attached)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. freshly chopped dill
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

Fleur de sel for finishing (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 400º F. Clean and remove the tops from the carrots (scrub them well or peel them, your preference.)

Place the carrots on a greased sheet tray and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss with your hands, making sure they’re evenly coated with oil. Lightly salt and pepper.

Roast carrots for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and turn the carrots with tongs and sprinkle with 1- 1½ Tbsp. freshly chopped dill, then return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, place carrots on a platter. Sprinkle with remaining fresh dill.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Or sprinkle with optional fleur de sel (my preference!)

Serve immediately, or serve at room temperature.

Serves approximately 6

Matzo Crack

Matzo Crack

Adapted from Marcy Goldman and David Lebovitz by Blue Heron Kitchen

If there’s one confection you add to this year’s seder table, make it this one, Crack. You can prepare it now and keep it in the fridge or freezer (but you may finish it before your seder). 

It’s simple to prepare and lifts matzo out of the dessert onto the dance floor. Crack is why you should get the 5 lb. (Israeli) for free or $2.99 (Streits or Manischewitz) with the coupon at Stop and Shop, (even if you live alone or you're Catholic or Hindu or Muslim or Christian or Jain or Gujarati or a devout Atheist). Passover is a culinarily peculiar holiday, when practicing Jews cease eating anything that’s leavened for an entire week. It's all about matzo and potatoes. 

This confection is addictive. If you don’t like matzo, you’ll like it now.

If vanilla extract isn’t in your Passover kitchen, don’t worry – omit it.

Play around with semi-sweet or dark chocolate. Omit the chocolate and make Caramel Crack (try light brown sugar and don’t forget the vanilla extract – or scrape ½ a vanilla bean into the caramel before pouring it over the matzo).

I’m going to make another batch later with dark chocolate and I'll sprinkle crispy bacon chopped candied ginger on top! 

The story of Passover is all about the Jews being enslaved and then not. Israel needs to sing “Let My People Go” and replace “My” with “Their” .. It's time to let the Palestinians that are grossly encamped "Go". What a perfect Passover is would be - no more hypocrisy! 

To those who celebrate, Happy Passover! If not, grab a box of matzo and make this - a couple of times. Got matzo? .. make Crack .. or matzo brei.

peace and love,

jane

Ingredients:

4 (6-1/2-by-6-inch) sheets unsalted matzo

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into large pieces

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

¾ tsp. kosher salt

¾  tsp. fleur de sel* (see below)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cups excellent quality semi or dark chocolate chips

1 cup toasted sliced almonds or other toasted coarsely chopped nuts

* Don’t waste your precious fleur de sel in the caramel – use kosher salt. But do sprinkle fleur de sel on top for a perfect sweet and salty finish.

Procedure:

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with 2 overlapping pieces of aluminum foil that wrap over the edges of the baking sheet or parchment that extends over each side of the baking sheet.

Arrange the matzo in a single layer on the baking sheet, breaking pieces as needed to fill any empty spaces.

Place the butter, brown sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes more.

Remove from the heat, add the vanilla (or not)  - add it slowly, because the caramel may bubble up and seize. (That’s okay.)

Pour the caramel over the matzo and spread it evenly using an offset or silicone spatula.

Place the (careful, it’s hot!) baking sheet in the oven and bake until small bubbles cover the surface and the caramel is fragrant (do not let the caramel burn), about 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the chocolate chips. In about a minute or two, the chips will have softened.

Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the caramel. Immediately, sprinkle with the toasted nuts and remaining 3/4 teaspoon fleur de sel.

Refrigerate the brittle until cool, about 15 minutes. 

Break into pieces and serve.

The matzo crack can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 1 week. This freezes well (and like Mallomars or Thin Mints ... you know where I'm going.)