In season: carrots

— From local reports

Carrots are so ubiquitous at the grocery store – baby carrots, bags of organic carrots, carrots with their tops, carrots in multi-colored bunches — you’d think they must be a snap to grow.

Not so.

There’s the question of the right soil — fertile enough, not too sandy, definitely not too heavy. And then there’s the fact that carrot seeds are some of the tiniest seeds a farmer will sift between her fingertips.

Lovey Gilliam of Gilliam’s Community Garden in the southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Oakland City has tackled the soil problem by growing carrots in raised 4-by-16-foot beds. “There we can control the soil mixture and the fertilizer to make sure it’s going to the carrots. Carrots, like potatoes, like their soil a certain way. It takes a lot of work to grow a good product and to do it organically, but if we give carrots the right condition we’ll get a blemish-free product.”

For Gilliam, the hardest thing about growing carrots is the thinning. “The seeds are so small it’s hard to space them properly. And when they’re too close together, the carrots get all jumbled together. We have to carefully go in and thin the plants so the carrots have room to grow.”

Gilliam’s Community Garden farms on about 1.5 acres of a 3-acre property where she grows broccoli, onions, collards, chard, kale and beets among other winter vegetables and in season summer staples such as peppers, okra and ginger. Now beginning her fourth year of farming, Gilliam credits her hard working crew of lady bugs, purchased regularly, for part of the organic garden’s success.

The garden is in the third year of a partnership with nearby Finch Elementary School. Students from third through fifth grades come to the garden for classes, building their math and science skills by calculating how many vegetables can fit in a raised bed, learning how to build a better ecosystem for the garden by making compost and cultivating good bugs and enjoying botany lessons in the garden rows. One of the pay offs for the students is getting to eat what they grow.

The rest of us can enjoy Gilliam’s vegetables by purchasing them at the Wednesday evening East Point Farmers Market.

Gilliam and her husband Prentiss started like many farmers with a small backyard garden that grew. “When I was dating my husband he made me a garden in my backyard in College Park and we grew so much food. Then we moved over to Oakland City, which is a food desert. I realized I could grow food and my neighbors could benefit. Some come and volunteer and take food home. And once a month I go around the neighborhood, one block at a time, and give away what we’ve grown.”

It’s a real mission for Gilliam who has formed a 501c3 to keep the farm going. “I found this was really a turnip/collard greens area. They weren’t too much interested in vegetables beyond that. I’ve introduced them to scalloped squash and white eggplant. It works really well with the kids who are more creative with their food, liking different colors and shapes.”

Her husband is the main farmer, but she’s an active participant. She finds this new career — taken up at 50 after a decade working in customer care for a car dealership — to be somewhat similar to her day job. “You have to understand the people around you. In this case, what do they like to eat? What will they eat? What won’t they eat? Where did they come from? Did they grow up with a grandmother or grandfather on the farm? If you can connect them with something in their past, it seems to work out.”

Jenn Robbins’ Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Salad

Roasted vegetables are a staple winter dish, but this recipe transforms them from a hot side dish to a warm or room temperature salad star. Jenn Robbins of Avalon Catering adapted this recipe from a spring version she demonstrated at the Morningside Farmers Market. Multicolored carrots, leeks, fresh herbs and occasionally a parsnip or two are available at local winter farmers markets.

Adding the roasted leeks to the Sherry Vinaigrette is a little twist that transforms an ordinary vinaigrette into a modified version of the classic French dish, Leeks Vinaigrette.

2 bunches carrots, tops trimmed to 1/2-inch, divided (about 16 carrots)

2 parsnips

1 bunch leeks, green tops removed, whites halved and rinsed

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Sherry Vinaigrette (see recipe), more if needed

1 winter radish

1 cup Kale and Walnut Pesto (see recipe)

Herbs, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Set aside two carrots. Cut the remaining carrots into quarters. Cut the parsnips into pieces the same size as carrots.

In a large bowl, toss quartered carrots, parsnip pieces and leek halves with olive oil to lightly coat. Sprinkle with salt. Arrange vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until they are just tender, but still retain texture, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Slice the leeks into 1/4-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine leeks and Sherry Vinaigrette and set aside.

Using a mandoline, shave reserved carrots and radish lengthwise. Add the carrots and radish to the leeks and vinaigrette. Taste for seasoning and add more vinaigrette if needed.

When ready to serve, divide pesto between eight serving plates. Top with roasted carrots and parsnips, then garnish with the marinated vegetables. Drizzle with more vinaigrette if needed and garnish with chopped herbs as desired. Serves: 8

Per serving, entire recipe: 475 calories (percent of calories from fat, 72), 5 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 39 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 311 milligrams sodium.

Kale and Walnut Pesto

Robbins says you can make this pesto with Parmesan, but suggests you can substitute any other nutty, aged cheese such as Manchego or pecorino.

1/2 cup walnuts

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped (about 1/2pound)

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup canola oil

In a dry skillet, toast walnuts over medium-high heat until they become fragrant and just begin to color. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine kale and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Add Parmesan and reserved walnuts and pulse until finely chopped. Add vinegar and salt and pulse. Add olive oil and canola oil and pulse until mixture reaches a pesto consistency, not completely smooth but with a bit of texture. Taste for seasoning. Makes: 2 cups

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 80 calories (percent of calories from fat, 89), 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 8 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 1 milligram cholesterol, 126 milligrams sodium.

Sherry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup sherry vinegar

1 shallot, cut into 1/8-inch pieces

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon dry mustard

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, shallot, honey and mustard. Whisk in olive oil and canola oil and continue whisking until emulsified. Season to taste. Makes: 2 cups

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 95 calories (percent of calories from fat, 96), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 10 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 2 milligrams sodium.