RECIPE: Peel your way to a carrot ribbon salad
I can tell you exactly what many vegetable peelers look like: tarnished metal with 14 little grater holes poking out of the V-shaped handle and a blade that couldn’t cut the fuzz off a ripe kiwi. And yet, many home cooks still have them lingering in their utensil drawers ready to peel potatoes for tonight’s supper.
Up until a few years ago, this was the case in my own mother’s kitchen. Whenever I visited, I would wrangle with Mama’s decades-old peeler. I’d cringe while I prepped cucumbers or broccoli, thinking I just might lose a thumb or an eye.
Scalpel-quality vegetable peelers make a home cook’s life so much easier. Like great chef’s knives, they do all the work so you don’t have to labor — and potentially jab yourself — when peeling mangos or butternut squash. Well-made, razor-sharp peelers cost $10 or less at the local kitchen store or online. And they are the key to quickly making salads and other plant-based dishes, including my Carrot Ribbon Salad.
Shaving thin, playful ribbons from a small bunch of carrots creates an unexpected way to enjoy them. They add a bright pop of color to a springtime table, especially for Mother’s Day or graduation. Try to buy them with the green tops attached. Similar to parsley, the tops have a slightly bitter, but fresh flavor, and they finish off this salad — or any other carrot dish — beautifully.
The simple date dressing adds natural sweetness and creaminess to the salad. When tossed together with toasted cumin seeds, the taste of the sweet carrots is amplified.
Carrot Ribbon Salad with Date Vinaigrette
- 6 medium carrots with green tops, washed
- ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 9 pitted dates
- Juice from 1 medium orange (about 6-7 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Cut the tops off the carrots. Remove the fronds from the stems and roughly chop into 1-2 tablespoons; reserve a few fronds for garnish. Set aside and save the rest for another use, such as to make stock or carrot-top pesto.
- Using a sharp vegetable peeler, shave the carrots into long, thin ribbons.
- Place the cumin seeds in a small skillet or saucepan and toast on medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to a small dish.
- Add the dates, orange juice, mustard and vinegar to a blender or small food processor. Blend until nearly smooth, about 45 seconds. (There will be a few small chunks of dates, which is OK.) Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, and blend 10-15 seconds until creamy and fully combined.
- Place the carrot ribbons on a medium platter or 10-inch cake stand with a rim. Drizzle the dressing evenly on top. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds and garnish with the chopped carrot tops and reserved fronds. Season to taste with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Serves 4-6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 4: 188 calories (percent of calories from fat, 49), 2 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 11 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 346 milligrams sodium.Chadwick Boyd is a frequent TV guest, judge on Hallmark Channel and cookbook author. Find more of his work at chadwickboydlifestyle.com.
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