Carrot Slaw Two Ways

Summer’s almost over. The kids are going back to school. The nights are just a wee bit cooler. And you’re thinking of putting away the grimy, greasy grill until next year.

But before it’s all over, try this fast, easy and colorful pair of recipes.

I’m not sure when different colored carrots appeared in markets, but they certainly are fun. Maybe it makes us remember our childhood, when we messed around with food. I know I dyed one batch of applesauce blue and ate it.

Then along came food processors, which make shredding carrots so easy! Of course you can do it by hand if you insist (and I do have a number of vintage shredders), but it you’re in a hurry, you can just send a batch through the shredding disk and you’re done. Then mix up a simple dressing or two, toss with the carrot shreds, and serve alongside grilled something or other. I went with two recipes—an oil and mustard one, and a creamy yogurt one, each with a fresh herb. You can experiment all you like—toss in garlic, scallions, chives, vinegar, lemon juice, whatever you have handy. Nobody will complain!

Carrot Slaw #1 – Tangy

Ingredients: (Note: this is for a large batch using a lot of carrots. If you don’t need this much slaw, just reduce all the ingredients in proportion)

2 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded (the picture above shows about three pounds, which I split between the two recipes)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tblsp chopped fresh chives

Instructions:

In a bowl, combined the mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk until combined. In a larger bowl place the shredded carrots, add the dressing, and toss well to coat. 

Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve it.

Carrot Slaw #2 – Creamy

2 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
2 Tblsp mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 Tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tblsp chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, buttermilk, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the shredded carrots and toss well.

Easy, right? Shred all the carrots at once and split them between the two recipes. Or choose a different color for each recipe. Have fun!

I'm off to Ireland later today. Whenever I go, I try to include two Saturdays, because that's when the Skibbereen farmers' market is open. It's one of my favorite places, and I always come back to the cottage with unexpected items. Next week I should have a new recipe and I'll be christening my new Slide-and-Hide oven (for those of you who watch the Great British Baking Show, you'll know what I mean).

With rainbow!

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