Honey-Bourbon Glazed Carrots
Ah yes, the first day of spring. For Anthony and I, it marks the beginning of a perennial debate: What are we planting in the garden? Do we buy plants or start them as seeds? You see, we’re both obsessed with plants. All winter, we frequent the same greenhouses, basking in the warm glow of the winter sun among tropical plants. Our last apartment was every plant lover’s dream: huge ceilings with 8-foot windows that allowed sunlight to pour in from all angles. Since moving to our house, we’ve had to adjust our plant collection but it has continued to grow steadily, especially over the last year.
While it may be too cold in Maine for us to start planting outside, it hasn’t stopped us from planning. Much to Anthony’s distress, we will be growing quite a few lovelies from seed this year. I have a light stand, seed trays, and even a heating pad to keep our seedlings nice and warm. It’s a debate we have every year. I love growing plants from seeds and have since I was a kid. Anthony can’t stand the glow of fluorescent lights and scowls when I mention them. That being said, I know how to win him over. A couple of glasses of wine, a seed catalog, and we’re off to the races. We usually end up with a shopping cart full of seeds, many of which won’t make it to the final cut.
This year, we’re growing plants that will attract pollinators and butterflies. With the help of my cousin, Glenn, I built a garden on the island last fall dedicated to our Grandmother’s 100th birthday. The garden is in the middle of the island in full sun and along the path to the Bake area where customers pick up their meals. Butterfly Bush, Milkweed, Cosmos, Portulaca, Daisies, and more are destined for this garden. I want it to be a mix of classic cottage flowers with a few unexpected surprises Chrysanthemums that will grow 5 feet tall.
In between ordering seeds and making plans for our gardens, I’ve also been working on some new recipes. Since spring is here, it means more produce will soon become available at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. I don’t always cook in season, but I try.
One recipe I’ve been working on is these carrots. I love glazed carrots and because carrots are so ubiquitous, you can serve them any time of year. This is a fairly simple and straightforward recipe for glazed carrots using ingredients you probably have in your pantry. If you don’t have any bourbon, substitute with wine, or even chicken stock. Don’t forget to salt these at the end to make the sweetness really pop without being overpowering.
I will be posting more Spring-themed foods in the coming weeks so stay tuned!
Honey-Bourbon Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2lbs carrots, peeled and sliced to ½ inch rounds
½ cup water
½ cup bourbon
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
heat the olive oil in a large skillet with a lid. Add the carrots and saute until bright orange, about 3 minutes.
Whisk the water, bourbon, vinegar, and honey until the honey has dissolved and add to the carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the carrots a tender-crisp; about 9 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to simmer over medium heat until the carrots are tender and the liquid has almost evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
