Pickled Carrots

These tasty, pickled carrots can be used as a side-dish vegetable, salad, or appetizer and you can try this recipe with other veggies too!

Pickled vegetables are wonderful because they can be prepared in advance and keep well in the refrigerator. These pickled carrots are like an Italian antipasto. In fact, they can be used as a vegetable, salad or appetizer. Select fresh, organic carrots, and you are well on your way to making this tangy side dish, which can also serve as an appetizer.

Pair them with a mild-flavored entrée like Potato-Rosemary Crusted Fish Fillets. Round out the colors on the plate with sautéed greens. If you like the recipe, try the same pickling marinade for other vegetables like zucchini or cauliflower.

Food as Medicine

Carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene, which offers numerous health benefits. Beta-carotene is particularly helpful in preserving night vision – the compound is converted to vitamin A in the liver; then it travels to the eye and is converted to rhodopsin, a pigment that is essential for low-light vision.

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon onion, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon whole mixed pickling spices, tied in cheesecloth
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 small onion, thinly sliced

1. Sauté the garlic and chopped onion in the olive oil in a skillet until just tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the wine vinegar, dry mustard, pickling spices, salt, pepper, and carrots.
3. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. The carrots should still be crunchy. Remove from heat.
4. Remove the cheesecloth with the spices. Transfer the carrot mixture to a shallow dish.
5. Top with the thinly sliced onion.
6. Cover and refrigerate until served, stirring occasionally.