Hooray for salad!
This is the kind of thing I make when I think there's nothing to eat in the house, and yet I want a fast and easy mouthful of bright crisp vegetable flavors.
Carrots and garlic are nearly always hanging around in our kitchen. We have a lemon tree, so I never have any problem finding some lemon juice and zest. And of course olive oil is the pantry staple to end all pantry staples. So this salad is just about always possible--which is great, because it's delicious.
Carrot is the perfect bridge between summer and fall. What other root vegetable is so fresh, bright, and juicy? Sure, we'll be roasting them up with parsnips, onions, and thyme pretty soon--but while the sun is still out, I'm definitely on board with a raw and crunchy salad arrangement.
Carrot salad with garlic and lemon
carrot
garlic
lemon
olive oil
salt
pepper
Scrub your carrots under the tap and shred with a box grater. I used two medium carrots. Put your shredded carrot in a reasonable bowl.
Smash a couple of cloves of garlic with the flat of your knife, peel them, and mince them finely. Add them to the carrot. (If you're not into raw garlic, it's fine to reduce the amount.)
Strip a few wide pieces of zest off half a lemon. Slice them up finely with your knife and add them to the carrot and garlic. Squeeze the juice from the lemon half into the bowl of veg, catching any seeds with your fingers.
Add a glug or two of olive oil, a sprinkling of salt, and a couple good grinds of pepper. Mix well and taste for seasoning.
Let your salad rest for at least a half hour before eating, so the flavors have a chance to mix. Then go to town.
While I will absolutely eat a big scoop or two of this carrot salad on the side of pretty much any sandwich, I really like it best IN the sandwich. If you like lavash or pita with hummus or baba ghanouj, you could do way worse than to add a whole lot of this salad. Bagel with cream cheese? Throw on a spoonful of salad--or better yet, mix it in with your cream cheese and spread that on your bagel. Regular old turkey on rye with mustard and lettuce? Salad. It's really good.
I also like this on the side of a bowl of soup, but I could absolutely see using it as a garnish for things like cream of cauliflower, potato leek, or bright green spinach soup. Or putting it on a piece of toast and having a pseudo-half sandwich with said soup. It's all good.
What's your favorite early fall salad?
18 comments:
This sounds delicious - sweet carrot, spicy garlic, tangy lemon - yum! In the fall I always look forward to crunchy new-crop apple in our salads.
I can definitely see this being super awesome in a sandwich or as a soup garnish! Maybe a little too carroty to stand on its own (for me), but so super bright & happy--love the simplicity.
Kale salad! Or roasted beet salad. Actually I eat these at any time of year, but they seem most appropriate now.
I look forward to trying the carrot salad, though I might substitute shallots for garlic, since I got some nice ones at the farmers' market last week.
I want a lemon tree! I love grated salads and completely agree with you that they are super in sandwiches. The fall salad I'm looking forward to is this one: http://emmycooks.com/2012/02/12/shaved-brussels-sprout-salad-with-red-onion-lemon-and-pecorino/ And when you start roasting those carrots, I love this salad too: http://emmycooks.com/2012/06/21/orange-roasted-carrot-and-avocado-salad-with-cumin-vinaigrette/
You Californians and your awesome trees. So jealous.
This salad has me dreaming of some sort of carrot and hummus sandwich. I love carrot and hummus together. I'm also loving beetroot salads at the moment. Grated celeriac would be amazing too! You've really got me thinking about autumn salads now :)
I could definitely see this being the perfect thing to have on hand when you feel like snacking! The perfect thing to nibble on.
Just got a bundle of carrots in my CSA! Soon they will become your salad...thanks for the inspiration!
I need to try to make this when I harvest my carrots! Sounds wonderful :)
You have a lemon tree? How lucky!! (Song singing in my head now) For me, a fall salad has to have pumpkin (: or sth orange at least.
I've been in that situation before where I want a salad and there is nothing in the fridge but carrots, or something else not typically salad-ish, so I'd whip up something with whatever is there. This salad sounds fresh and delicious!
a lemon tree? as in, go outside and pick lemons as needed? insert insane jealousy!
Oh a lemon tree! How wonderful! And this carrot salad looks just delicious. Thank you for sharing, my friend!
carrot salad is my *favourite!* There's something about grating carrots that makes them so incredibly juicy and more-ish.
Sometimes I like to toast mustard seeds and then quickly throw a bunch of carrots and cumin and sesame oil in the pan, take it off the heat, stir in some lemon juice and raisins, add salt, and eat! No faster indian salad. :D
So easy and simple, a perfect starter or side to any fall meal! I love salads in teh fall that have some type of warm aspect to them and lots of crunch from nuts & seeds!
Carrots are so underrated in their simplicity! Grating them is my favorite way to enjoy them raw too. All it needs are a few other ingredients and it's delicious.
All of your salads sound so good! I love them! And now I want a combination of everything--say, a braised cabbage and kale salad with crispy apples and sesame seeds, or a grain salad with roasted squash and dried cranberries and some sort of pungent chopped green... :)
Yum!
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