One evening, I needed a salad in a hurry. All I had to work with were carrots, celery, a red onion, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and Salsa Etrusca—12-year-old Italian balsamic vinegar.
That was all I needed. This chopped carrot and celery salad is delicious, economical and a quick one to serve in a pinch. It also has a punch of vitamin A in every bite, thanks to the carrots—root vegetables, belonging to the parsley family, that date back to ancient times.
My mother could also make a salad in a pinch, using shredded carrots, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. I make it with carrot curls, lemon juice and pepper to give this simple salad uplift.
Also, don’t shy away from throwing in carrots with a slowly roasting chicken. The vegetables in the pan—infused with meat juice and wine—automatically become a delicious side dish.
Bon appétit!
Chopped Carrot And Celery Salad(Serves 4)4 carrots, peeled, washed and cut into chunks
4 stalks celery with leaves, washed and cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1½ teaspoons Salsa Etrusca, for drizzling
Celery leaves, for garnish
Black olives, for garnishTo prepare:Place carrots and celery in food processor with stainless steel blades.
Pulse until vegetables are coarsely chopped.
Add onion.
Pulse until evenly blended.
Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Season with salt, pepper and drizzle with a few drops of olive oil until the vegetables glisten.
Add vinegar.
Toss and adjust the seasonings.
Arrange celery leaves on a plate and mound chopped salad in the center.
Garnish with olives.Mom’s Lemon Carrot Salad, Updated(Serves 4 to 6)6 carrots, peeled and washed
2 lemons, halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Flat leaf parsley or dill, chopped, for garnish
Optional:
1 orange, halved, for squeezing
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzlingTo prepare:Cut long, thin slices down the length of the carrots to make “ribbons” using a vegetable peeler with a swivel head.
Place carrot curls in a bowl.
Squeeze lemon juice onto carrots.
Season with salt and pepper.
Toss to blend.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding orange juice if too tart.
Drizzle a few drops of olive oil on top.
Toss and garnish with parsley or dill.Slow Roasted Chicken With Carrots & Parsnips(Serves 4 to 6)1 5- to 7-pound roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1½ lemons, for juice and zest
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon Greek oregano
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 small clove garlic, minced
7 carrots, peeled and cut into oval/octagonal shapes
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into oval/octagonal shapes
1 cup full-bodied red wine or chicken stock
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to tasteTo prepare:Rinse chicken under cold running water.
Pat dry with paper towels.
Rub the cavity with the cut side of half a lemon.
Squeeze juice into it.
Season with salt.
Place a handful of celery and chopped onion in the cavity.
Mix shallot, garlic, basil, thyme, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper together into a rub in a small bowl.
Push a pinch of the rub under the skin of the breast.
Rub the entire skin of the chicken with remaining herbs.
Truss the legs together with cotton kitchen string and tuck the wings under the back of the chicken.
Scatter remaining celery and onion in the bottom of a roasting pan.
Place the seasoned chicken on top of the vegetables.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 250°F.
Remove plastic wrap.
Place the chicken in the center rack of the oven.
Roast until the skin is crisp and beginning to brown, about 1½ hours.
Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the skin.
Add garlic, carrots and parsnips to the pan.
Roast about 30 minutes.
Add wine or stock.
Continue roasting, uncovered, for about 4 hours total until the juices in the thickest part of the thigh run clear when pierced with a two-pronged fork, or the internal temperature of the chicken reads 180°F on a meat thermometer.
Remove and let stand for 10 minutes.
Carve chicken.
Transfer to warm dinner plates.
Serve with carrots and pass au jus at the table.
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