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Root of health

Try a carrot casserole for a change. It's both tasty and nutritious

ORANGE DELIGHT Carrots are a rich source of Vitamin A

Carrot (Daucus carota) is a root vegetable, usually orange or white in colour, with a woody texture. The edible part is the taproot. It is a biennial plant, which grows a rosette of leaves in spring and summer, while building up the stout taproot.

Carrot can be eaten raw, whole or chopped, or grated into salads. It is used to make stew, soup, cake, pudding and halwa. Carotene gives this vegetable its characteristic orange colour and is a source of Vitamin A. Furthermore, carrot is rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants and minerals.

Varieties

There are many varieties of carrot cultivars. `Imperator' carrots are the most popular ones. Their roots are longer than those of other cultivars and tapered to a point at the tip.

`Nantes' carrots are nearly cylindrical in shape, and are blunt and rounded at the top and the tip. Nantes cultivars are often sweeter than other varieties.

`Danvers' carrots have a conical shape, a well-defined top and a pointed tip. They are somewhat shorter than Imperator cultivars, but more tolerant of heavy soil. Danvers cultivars are often pureed as baby food.

`Chantenay' carrots are shorter than other cultivars, but have a greater girth, sometimes growing up to 8 cm (3 inches) in diameter. Shape-wise, they have broad shoulders and taper towards a blunt, rounded tip.

Now for a recipe.

Carrot Casserole

Ingredients

Serves 6

Carrots, cooked, mashed: half kilo
Chopped onion: quarter cup
Green bell pepper (chopped): 2 tbsp
Milk: half cup
Granulated sugar: one-third cup
Cracker crumbs: 1 cup
Soft butter: 6 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Melted butter: 2 tbsp
Method: Mix together carrots, onion, bell pepper, milk, sugar, half a cup of the cracker crumbs, six tablespoons butter, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a casserole dish. Top with the remaining half-cup of cracker crumbs and drizzle with two tablespoons of melted butter.

Bake in a 350° C oven for 30 minutes until brown.

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