Carrot Cake Jam From the Field to the Jar

I once had a friend who believed that carrot cake was an acceptable choice on any diet, since technically it is a vegetable.  I’m not sure Carrot Cake Jam exactly qualifies as a vegetable, but what goes into the jar was harvested in the field and it sure tastes a lot like the cake after which it is named.  

The final pickup of the 2013 season at Restoration Farm features crisp, sunny carrots that sparkle in the morning light. The splash of bright orange color immediately catches the eye.  

Root vegetables personify the heartiest traits of the farm, drawing their earthy flavor directly from the elements of soil and water that comprises the land.  

Perhaps it is my need to extend the season that prompts me to – once again – organize a weekend canning project. This recipe for Carrot Cake Jam intrigues me.  The jam evokes tradition, and the flavors of Carrot Cake a touch of nouveau cuisine. 

Grated carrots, chopped pears and canned pineapple are simmered with sugar, pectin and warm autumn seasonings – cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.  I’ll be able to enjoy the sweet carrots of Restoration Farm for some time to come.  

By now, my canning skills are practically instinctive, which was a goal of mine for the season. Once hesitant to tackle home preserving, it now comes quite naturally.  

Here’s the rub with jam.  You actually can’t sample the fruit of your labor until the job is complete – the jam is just too hot.   But, the aroma is rich and inviting, and a pretty clear indicator of success.  

The delectable spread packed into the jars is chunky and sweet, and the house indeed smells like warm Carrot Cake is baking in the oven. 

A slice of homemade bread spread with cream cheese and Carrot Cake Jam on a bracing autumn afternoon will assure that the flavors and textures of Restoration Farm continue to delight the senses. 

©2013 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved 

Carrot Cake sans Carrots

Happy Easter and Happy Spring! If, by chance, you’ve just been visited by the most famous rabbit of all (and I don’t mean Bugs) you might want to take a moment to reflect on the Big Bunny’s favorite food – The Carrot. Here’s a little carrot trivia to crunch on:

• The carrot originated in Afghanistan, but the varieties grown there were purple and yellow. The ubiquitous orange root didn’t come until later.



• Both the ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated carrots.



• In 1607 the settlers at Jamestown in Virginia introduced carrots to North America.



• Thomas Jefferson – who loved vegetables – harvested 18 bushels of carrots at his Monticello home in 1814.



• The state of California is the top producer of fresh carrots in the United States.



• The carrot consists of 87 percent water.



• Beta carotene gives the carrot its orange color, and the carrot delivers 30 percent of the Vitamin A in the U.S. diet.



• One cup of raw carrots contains about 50 calories, 4 grams of dietary fiber, 6 grams of sugars and over 400 percent of a single daily serving of Vitamin A.

None of these nutritional benefits are present in this whimsical Carrot Cake inspired by a recipe in the April issue of Food Network Magazine. It contains absolutely no carrot, and while the original recipe recommends purchased frozen pound cake and tub frosting, I decided to make a vanilla pound cake recipe and a batch of cream cheese frosting from scratch as the base ingredients for the recipe. Once that’s done, the rest is basically a kitchen craft project of trimming and frosting the cake and precise alignment of dozens of orange jelly beans.

I suspect there’s enough sugar here to assure I’ll be hopping down the bunny trail by late afternoon.

©2011 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

What’s Up Doc?

The mini is back. Not the mini-skirt sadly, but teeny, tiny carrots.

These tender, diminutive carrots are proliferating at Restoration Farm and they couldn’t be more precious. These sunny little crunchers just make you happy. One CSA member squealed “How cute!” the minute she laid eyes on them.

I decide to milk the “cute factor” for all its worth. I leave a little shock of green on the top of each and steam them for about 2-3 minutes, so they stay crisp and spunky.

The warm carrots are dressed in marinade adapted from “The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest” – mix ½ cup of honey, 2/3 cup of white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon salt.

The carrots are chilled in the marinade and then served on a bed of lettuce as an adorable first course.

Cute, huh?

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved