The winner is.....Carrots!

The other day my roommate asked me, 'If you could have only five vegetables for the rest of your life, what would they be?'. I pondered this for a few moments. We were eating yummy asparagus at the time, so I was tempted in that direction, but really, I'm not such a huge fan that I would plan my life around it. I could have chosen a favorite, but infrequent item, like corn on the cob. I do love a plate of fresh-from-the-farmer corn, slathered in butter with fresh ground pepper. The problem is, I associate corn with august and it just seems so much more special when it's only enjoyed a couple times a year. No, if I was going to choose five vegetables for the rest of my life, they had to be versatile and resilient enough to withstand day after day of attention. My final list was quite practical, but perhaps controversial as two of my entries are technically fruit.

First, I chose onion. My father is probably laughing out loud right now; I used to hate onions as a child. As I've come to cook for myself I see how much a little bit of onion can do for so many dishes. It's not often the star, but it can certainly turn things from drab to complex. Next, avocado (the first of the fruit/veggies). I have a weakness for guacamole, egg and avocado sandwiches and the avocado salad at The Green Door. The second fake veggie was the tomato. Strange, since I also hated tomatoes as a child (it was a texture thing). Now though I say, how can you go wrong with a tomato? Perfect in a sandwich, as a base for so many sauces, soups, and salsas and it goes splendidly with avocado! For my greens I chose arugula. Once you've had an arugula salad, it's hard to even consider regular leaf lettuce as an option. Finally, I chose carrots.

Carrots? you may ask. It's a fair question, I even kind of questioned myself as I said it. I'm certainly not talking about the old bagged carrots from the grocery store. I'm thinking of one that has been freshly plucked from the garden. It's one of those things that tastes like an entirely different vegetable when eaten fresh. On top of that, it's incredibly versatile. It's more than just the sliced wedges alongside a meat and potatoes supper. The carrot can find a place in a warming soup, a healthy smoothie or even in dessert. Carrot cake, my friends, is one of the best fates for a carrot.

After buying a huge bag of market carrots last fall, I went on a bit of a carrot cake baking spree. This is not a bad thing, in fact my roommate and lab mates were all quite happy with this development. When the bag of carrots was ending it's lifetime, the last remaining ones were shredded and packed away into the freezer for future cake adventures. Today, with a baby shower to attend, was a day for an adventure. You might not think that in a cake, market versus grocery carrots would make a difference. I'm here to tell you that you are wrong. Even after spending some time in the freezer these carrots still managed to bring a fresh flavor, one reminiscent of summer days laying in the grass by the garden.

I took this recipe from my mom, whose carrot cake with cream cheese icing has always been my favorite. I modified it here to make a, not too sweet, mix of carrot and savory flavors. The oil also gives it a crunchy exterior, an excellent contrast to the moist interior. It doesn't need any icing, but I have found that a dollop of whipped cream or a layer of cream cheese icing with toasted coconut are both quite delicious.

Carrot Cake Modified from my mom's recipe

• 1 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• ~3 cups of grated carrots
• 1 1/2 cups of white flour
• 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp all spice

Preheat the oven to 350 ˚F and grease a cake pan. Beat the oil and sugar together, then beat in the eggs. The mixture should look something like thick caramel sauce. Stir in the carrot. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients together. Fold the dry into the carrot mixture until it is just mixed. Pour into the cake pan and cook for 35-45 min.

Pad Thai....sort of

I go through phases with food. My interest in a certain dish generally falls under the categories of devotion or indifference. When in undergrad, Pad Thai was one of those dependable dinners that gained my attention and reverence. It was perfect for a poor student; it required the least flashy of veggies (carrots and celery), a few condiments and some rice noodles. Somehow in the transition from BSc to PhD my interest in this dish waned. After a long break, the other day I had an urge to revisit the old classic, but with some minor alterations.

I hit the grocery store with a plan, but admittedly it was a little vague and fuzzy. Noodles were easy, but when it came to the vegetables I decided I wanted to experiment. The bok choi showed little promise. It was sad and wilty, wishing I'd had my craving at least three days earlier when it was at the prime of it's game. The fennel on the other hand winked at me. I didn't remember fennel being a common ingredient in asian meals, but I figured I could call the dish 'fusion' and everything would be okay. For some color, I picked up the reliable carrot, green snap peas and slightly daring radicchio. A veggie bag perhaps more suited for a pasta dish with butter, pepper and pamesean cheese (I made this dish too and it was very tasty), I had confidence it would work for pad thai.

This was not my most successful experiment in the kitchen, but neither was it a complete disaster. The veggies sauted nicely, making for a very colorful picture and a very full pan. Thinking I was surely on the road to success, my heart fell a little when I combined everything together and the veggies all but disappeared under the pile of noodles. My heart sank even a little lower when my bowl, made prettier by a pile of cashews, seemed bland. I blame this on the poor veggie to noodle ratio per bite. Not to fear, all was saved by my favorite condiment: the red rooster hot sauce. I read an article about this sauce the other day (see the Jan 2010 issue of Bon Appetit), apparently it's made by a small family-run business. Clearly that family is hugely successful as this sauce is seen on restaurant tables all through Chinatown. Score one more for Huy Fong Foods, because it certainly saved my pad thai.

Pad Thai
I hesitate slightly to post this recipe as I don't have the best feel for how all the flavors would come together with fewer noodles in my bowl. My version showed promise, so I suspect it will find it's way into my meal rotation again soon. I've increased all the vegetable amounts so that you won't have the same problem I did.

- 1 bulb fennel, white parts only
- 4 carrots
- a handful of snap peas
- 1 small radicchio
- 1 medium onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 8 tsp ketchup
- 5 tsp brown sugar
- 6 tsp lemon juice
- 6 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 eggs
- 1 package of flat rice noodles
- cashews (or peanuts)
- Rooster Hot Sauce

Mix together ketchup, sugar, lemon juice and white wine vinegar to make sauce. Saute the chopped onion and fennel until the onion is translucent and the fennel tender. Add the garlic and peas. Boil the water for the noodles, following the directions on the package for cooking. When the noodles are close to being done, add the grated carrot and chopped radicchio to the onion and fennel. Ideally, once the noodles are ready they would be mixed with the veggies in the pan with the eggs. My pan was not large enough, so I mixed all the ingredients in a bowl (I believe everything was hot enough to cook the egg), only mixing my portion in the hot pan and saving the rest for later. Top the dish with chopped cashews and add as much hot sauce as desired. Makes four large servings.

Runners supported

It is officially spring in Ottawa. I know this, not because the canal is soupy and closed for skating, or because my feet are too hot in winter boots or because it's now mostly bright when I walk home in the evening. The true sign of spring in Ottawa is when the runners emerge and take over the canal walkway. These are no casual runners. Many of them may be middle aged, but they all seem quite capable of carrying on lengthy conversations while in full stride. I wouldn't be surprised either if the majority are training for the Ottawa full or half marathon. The most striking thing about the movement of runners is that they actually run in waves. You do not see one or two pass by every few minutes, oh no, they travel in packs of 5-20 people.

As someone who finds no real enjoyment out of running (just for the sake of running) I can see the advantage of a support system. I'm sure I would probably consider my running mates as the incentive to actually get up and go out. In the short stint in undergrad where I did run for exercise, I most certainly wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for Sara and Kelsey who consistently pushed me to keep going. I can understand why the beginners appreciate the group run method; there are other people sharing your pain (literally, shin splints and stomach cramps are not fun) and there is a sense of guilt to the 'team' if you don't show up.

The more advanced runners must use the group mentality for a different reason. Clearly, they are at the stage where they love to run and probably don't need any conscience prompting to get up and go. I suspect they run with a group for the same reason many of us run through our lives surrounded by people we love. They're perfectly capable of continuing on their own, but the group brings new perspectives, laughter, challenges and a quiet smile. When they stumble the group is there to brush off the pebbles and when they set a best time in a race, the group is there for high-fives and a congratulatory hug. The group recalibrates your outlook; the lows seem not so bad and the highs are all that much better when shared. In honour of spring and busy walking/running paths I'd like to thank all my fabulous friends and family for being the best running group a girl could ask for.