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C<\/span>reative freedom is a huge carrot.\u201d Film and television director and producer AdamMcKay may have been explaining, when he said those words, why independent filmmaking was a draw for him, but I read the sentence through a culinary lens.<\/p>\n Creative freedom is, indeed, a huge carrot.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true. The ubiquitous carrot, which is seemingly always in season in one variety or another, can be prepared with imagination in myriad ways. And in doing so, the carrots in your refrigerator at home can take you anywhere you might want to go. Raw, with most of the dirt brushed off, and you\u2019re a kid in the backyard garden. Peeled, steamed, and tossed with spicy harissa and preserved lemon, and you\u2019re in a restaurant in Morocco. Shredded into a cake, and you\u2019re sitting at your grandmother\u2019s kitchen table. Sliced and simmered in chicken broth with onions and thyme, and you\u2019re with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkeley.<\/p>\n Carrots have a long history. They originated in ancient Persia. Seeds have been found in Switzerland and Germany dating back to 3000 B.C., when their leafy greens were used medicinally. References to eating carrot roots like we do now appeared in 1st century A.D. Roman texts. The Moors brought them to Spain circa 900, and the Dutch are widely credited with engineering an orange version of the previously purple root around 1600.<\/p>\n Carrot eating has been on the rise for eons, but scientists say the nutritional value of the vegetable has declined overtime. In a landmark study published in 2005, University of Texas researchers professor analyzed USDA carrot nutrient data collected between 1950 to 2000 and saw a decline in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamin C in modern carrots bred over time for size, growth rates, yield, and pest resistance, but not nutritional density.<\/p>\n Regenerative agriculture practices\u2014like low and no tilling of the soil, using rotational cover crops to let fields rest every few years, and integrating grazing animals into the mix\u2014are being used more and more on smaller farms around the world. The result is nutrient dense soil that can pull carbon out of the air to help fight climate change, hold onto water better, and grow more nutrient dense vegetables, like carrots. This may just be the season to buy your carrots from a local small farmer who uses these practices; they may be better for both your body and the earth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Screen-Shot-2021-06-02-at-4.56.41-PM.png\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nGrilled Carrots with Za'atar, Labneh, and Olive Oil<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\nChristine Burns Rudalevige<\/span>\n<\/div>\nAs carrots are conical, cooking whole ones evenly can be tricky. This grilling method combines direct and indirect heat to cook them thoroughly, top to tip. Labneh is used to match the Middle Eastern za\u2019atar, but it can be swapped with another spreadable cheese to pair with different spices\u2014for example, soft goat cheese with herbs de Provence, or ricotta with chopped parsley and red chili flakes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n