Kids Dish

I’m still planning some Thanksgiving recipes. At an outing to Costco to stock up on paper goods (I only buy food there if we’re having a huge party) I ended up buying a 10 lb bag of organic baby carrots. It was a silly purchase, considering I needed 2 carrots for a specific recipe and didn’t feel like stopping at another store to buy a smaller amount, but since I’m having 10 people for dinner on Thursday, so I’m sure I’ll be able to cook through most of the 10 lbs of carrots then.

The question is what to cook? Some people don’t like the texture of cooked carrots and some people don’t like the sweet. I usually make an awesome roasted carrot soup when I find myself overloaded with carrots, but since I’m making the Butternut Squash soup (which only calls for about a cup of carrots) I’m out of luck with that. What I need is a recipe that doesn’t compromise the integrity of the carrot crunch and isn’t overly sweet at the same time. Curried carrots are out, because the apricot glaze is a little much. Balsamic glazed carrots will probably be better. The acidity of the vinegar balances the sugar nicely and they’re not cooked for so long that they get soggy. The last time I made them Sam couldn’t get enough. Let’s hope he still likes them.

Carrots Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar
recipe and photo from epicurious.com

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 1/2 pounds peeled baby carrots or regular carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces, halved lengthwise
6 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots and sauté 5 minutes. Cover and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir in sugar and vinegar. Cook uncovered until carrots are tender and glazed, stirring frequently, about 12 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chives and toss to blend. Transfer to bowl and serve.

This recipe can be made in advance and reheated just before serving if necessary. But it’s also quick enough that you can cook the carrots while the turkey rests which is my plan.