Roasted Carrots with Honey & Thyme

Roasted Carrots

I guess it’s just human nature, but we humans tend to take everyday things for granted, and you don’t really appreciate something until you don’t have it. We just assume things we need or want will always be there, like they had nothing better to do. That would be the case for me with vegetables. Really, how much time in my life have I devoted to thinking about a vegetable? None! I’ve never cared about their well-being, or thanked them for their years of service. I just always assumed they would always be there, just waiting for ME. Oh, how self-centered.

I broach this topic because I spent the last week visiting a small island in the Caribbean that did not grow its own vegetables. We were told that all the island’s produce had to be flown in from different places. No matter were we went to eat, lettuce was brown, cucumbers were mushy, and tomatoes had no right to call themselves tomatoes. After about day 4, my body was going through a vitamin A withdrawal. Somebody help me, please, I need my soluble fiber!

Well, when I finally returned home I vowed I would never take one of my yellow, orange or green friends for granted anymore. I made myself a batch of these Roasted Carrots with Honey and Thyme, which by the way is a favorite annual side-dish on my Thanksgiving table.

Roasted Carrots

Roasted Carrots with Honey & Thyme

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh, minced thyme
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon chopped, crystallized ginger (optional, but I love the spicy sweetness it adds)
• sea salt and fresh, ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel and trim tops off carrots. Rinse under cold water and pat dry.
2. Lay carrots on a metal rimmed baking sheet and drizzle the olive oil over. Toss to coat carrots completely.
3. Sprinkle carrots with the thyme, crystallized ginger, salt and pepper. Drizzle honey over top.
4. Toss carrots to completely incorporate the ingredients.
5. Roast on the center rack in the oven at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes, or until you can pierce the carrots with a sharp knife.
6. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

Roasted Carrots

Mama’s Tips

Make sure that all your carrots are of equal thickness to insure that the vegetables roast evenly. If some carrots are thicker, just cut them in half.

To make your dish more visually appealing, see if your local produce market sells the multi-colored or rainbow carrots. They’re just more fun!

Roasted Carrots

Recipe: Easy

---