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20 Elul 5759 - September 1, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Gzar Din and Gezer

by Rivka Tal

At this time of year, when we plead with Hashem to grant us, our families and the entire Jewish people a favorable gzar din (judgment), let us turn to gezer, the carrot. This vegetable has its symbolic counterpart in Yiddish, as well, when we pray that ess zohlen zich mehren unzere zchuyos - our merits should increase.

Carrot leaves have a rich, aromatic fragrance that resembles parsley or celery. No wonder: these three are members of the parsley family, umbelliferae.

What child hasn't been told by his mother to eat carrots so he will have good eyesight? [Indeed, no one ever caught a rabbit with glasses.] It turns out that this has a scientific basis.

[In school, we were taught that vitamina A, in which carrots are rich, prevented night blindness.] According to the American Dietetics association, the evidence is compelling that fruits and vegetables rich in beta caretene are essential to a healthy diet and may help protect against cancer, heart disease and other major maladies.

Beta carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A, which has been shown to be essential in general good eyesight, disease prevention and bone growth. But beta carotene is only one of 50 substances called carotenoids, all of which are found in various fruits and vegetables. Vegetables rich in vitamin A-producing compounds include the deep yellow vegetables such as the carrot, sweet potato, and pumpkin, as well as the deep green leafy vegetables, including Swiss chard, spinach, kale and collard greens (at least the first two are available in Israel, insect-free).

Carrots weren't always as popular as they are today. The Greeks and Romans of ancient history used carrots as medicinal plants to cure ulcers and other stomach ailments and to heal wounds. [In "Back to Eden", a natural health book, poultices of grated carrots are also advised for swellings and infections, etc.] The wild carrots they used had thin, wiry roots in white, yellow, red or purple. The earliest record of carrots being eaten as a vegetable was about 1400 years ago in Afghanistan. These carrots were probably large, rough and purple in color.

Carrots were being grown in the British colonies of North America as early as one report on them from Virginia in 1609. In the United States of the 1800s, carrots were more important for feeding cattle and other livestock. The French were especially fond of carrots, and it was a French seed company that introduced many varieties of carrots in the late 1800s. Many of them are still popular today. The carrots were intermediate in size and shape and were meant for human consumption.

Today, the carrot is one of the major vegetable crops grown all over the world. In the United States, California leads all other states in production, with Texas and Michigan coming in second and third.

Carrot producers are rooting for this recent trend: a 25% increase in per capita use of fresh carrots since the 1980s and a 30% increase in the use of frozen carrots. Among the things credited for the boom are the wide availability of fresh and frozen, peeled baby-cut carrots and new varieties of sweeter, more tender carrots, according to a United States Department of Agriculture report.

Crunchy and versatile, the carrot is everyone's favorite. Available all year round and inexpensive, the carrot makes its way into soups, colorful salads, cooked vegetable medleys, and sweet, moist cake. Known as the dieter's delight, carrots can be found on sophisticated crudite trays as well as in lunch boxes and at juice bars. Raw or steamed, shredded or sliced lengthwise or into `coins', the carrot retains it beautiful orange color and subtle flavor.

Add finely grated or chopped carrots to your chicken soup for that golden eye appeal and interest. Grate a little carrot into your gefilte fish for the mosaic look and into cole slaw for crunch and color. Roast carrots in the oven for subtle flavor.

Try Orange-Glazed Carrots for a favorable gzar din, all year round.

ORANGE GLAZED CARROTS

Ingredients:

12 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

6 tablespoons dark brown sugar, firmly packed

6 tablespoons margarine

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe 1 quart casserole

2. Heat, covered in microwave oven for 6-8 minutes on full power or until carots are tender. Stir occasionally so that carrots are well glazed. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings.

CARROT TZIMMES

INGREDIENTS:

non-stick cooking spray

2 medium sweet potatoes

3 cooking apples

3 medium carrots

1 cup pitted prunes

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons grated orange rind

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Coat a 13 x 9 inch decorative bake-and-serve casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Peel sweet potatoes and slice into thin slices (you should have about 6 cups). Peel and core apples. Scrape carrots. Slice apples and carrots into thin slices. Cut prunes in half, using a wet kitchen shears.

2. Layer sweet potatoes, apples, carrots and prunes in overlapping circles in the prepared baking dish.

3. Combine orange juice, orange rind, honey and cloves and pour over mixture. Cover.

4. Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until thoroughly cooked. Serve hot. Yield: 12 servings.

CARROT APPLE BREAD

Here is a parve carrot-apple `bread' for any of the coming yomim tovim:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 1/2 cup shredded apples

1/4 cup margarine, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon lemon rind

1 3/4 cup flour, sifted

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts - omit for Rosh Hashona

INSTRUCTIONS;

1. Combine carrots, apples, margarine, eggs and lemon rind in a large bowl. Mix well.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to apple mixture. Beat for 3 minutes. Stir in walnuts.

3. Pour into a greased 10 inch square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cake tests done.

 

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