Carrots are at their best

Press, 3 December 1982, Page 2

Carrots are at their best

Plentiful supplies of goodquality spring carrots were a feature of Christchurch produce markets this week. Local and Oamaru carrots sold for $1 a bunch. Those from Pukekohe and Hawke’s Bay, which retail in kilogram lots, fetched $6 to $l2 a bag. Carrots are at their newseason best and make economical buying. They are best eaten when small and brightly coloured. With age arid size they can become woody. • The carrot’s greatest food value is stored in, or just below, the skin. Young carrots need not be peeled and

the older variety should only be lightly scraped. A store of nutriments, vitamins, and minerals' is lodged in the carrot. Its best known property, which leads to such comments as “Eat up your carrots and see in the dark,” is carotene. Carotene converts to vitamin A and helps the eyes, muscles, and skin. The carrot is a familiar addition to salads and casseroles. It is also often used to add colour to a dinner plate. An adaptable vegetable, the carrot benefits from a touch of nutmeg before serving.

Often served mashed with carrot is the parsnip. The first new-season parsnips, from Pukekohe, arrived at the markets this week and sold for $l9 a bag. Swedes, also from Pukekohe, were another new arrival. They sold for $2l a bag. Supplies of silverbeet were eagerly sought and fetched $10.50 a case. Garlic, most

from Blenheim, fetched $6 to $l4 a kilogram. Cabbages were readily available but recent northwesterly weather has affected the quality of cauliflowers offered. Courgettes are proving popular with buyers and tomatoes have dropped in price ranging from $6 to $8 a 4.5 kg box. Cucumbers sold for 40c to

80c each and the telegraph variety fetched 30c to $1.20 according to size. Supplies of old potatoes are dwindling and new potato prices are falling as more become available. New potatoes from pukekohe and Nelson sold for $6 to $7 and half-cases of local produce returned $4 to $6. Lettuces were “very cheap” and plentiful, said a market spokesman. They sold for $1 to $4 a case. Asparagus sold at $4.50 a kilogram, and capsicum for $6. Hawke’s Bay apricots made their debut for the season at $30.50 for a quar-ter-case. Hawke’s Bay peaches were plentiful and sold for $l5 to $21.50 a tray. Blenheim cherries cost $4 to $5 a 2kg pack and a case of Hawke’s Bay plums fetched $lO to $15.. At $35 to $39 a tray avocados firmed in price as fewer were offered. Kiwifruit prices dropped, from $l2 to $l5 a tray last week, to $6 to $l2. Strawberries sold well, 12punnet boxes fetching $9 to $l3. This week’s recipe CARROT SALAD 1 cup breadcrumbs 2 tbsp butter ‘/2 cup peanuts 2 cups grated carrot 2 tbsp oil 1 tbsp white vinegar 2 tbsp sesame seeds Salt and pepper to taste Method: Fry breadcrumbs crisply in butter. Add nuts and seeds, allow to cool. Add the carrot and seasoning, toss and chill for several <hours.