Glazed Orange-Cardamom Carrots

You remember the Colossal Carrot in the lower right corner of this picture? Well, I harvested its twin the next day!

That gargantuan yellow carrot did not want to leave the ground, and when I finally dug it up with a trowel, it was the size of my forearm! Between that and the Colossal Carrot, I had a whole pound’s worth of carrots and an idea forming in my brain for a dish that would throw it all down.

It sounds rather fancy, but this surprisingly simple recipe can be whipped up as a weeknight side dish and pairs deliciously with Swedish meatballs and creamy mashed potatoes. It’s a gourmet take on plain ol’ sauteed carrots, and the recipe is worth filing away for the holidays, too.

Glazed Orange-Cardamom Carrots

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds carrots
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon orange zest
Juice from 1 orange
Ground black pepper to taste

Method

Cut your carrots into matchsticks about 1/4 inch thick and 2 inches long (or use baby carrots whole). If you can get your hands on some multi-colored carrots, it’ll really make your dish pop!

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, cardamom and orange zest, and let the flavors infuse the sauce for a few minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the carrots, stirring to coat all the carrot sticks evenly with sauce. Cook until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.

Pour in the orange juice and simmer uncovered until most of the juice has evaporated.

Add freshly ground black pepper to taste, stir, and serve!