good and good for ya!

Sometimes the simplest foods bring comfort. For me, one of these things is carrot salad.

Now when I was a kid I must admit, I wasn’t a fan. That too sweet even for me shredded carrot and raisin with mayo stuff just wasn’t my cuppa. It was often soggy and just uninspired.

I was never really a fan of carrot salad until I had it in France. There you can buy it prepared in the supermarkets in little tubs, if you don’t have a kitchen. Divine!

I think the secret is two-part. One is the texture, the other is the dressing. Here’s the thing, this version, which is basically David Lebovitz’s recipe is as close to what I call perfect as I have found. And it couldn’t be simpler, really.

See how the holes are round? Makes all the difference!

If you only have a box grater, fine. But, if you want the French carrot salad texture that I crave (and it is very different, believe me), I find that using the grater that I use for hard cheeses does the trick. It creates the perfect slim rounded shred that makes me happy. The bites of carrot are crunchy, sweet, juicy, and did I say crunchy? Mmm…

So, here’s all it takes.

Franco-Texan Carrot Salade

1 carrot per person, grated
chopped parsley (ideally flat-leaf)
lemon juice
olive oil
pinch salt
3 pinches of sugar (opitonal)
pepper (optional)

carottes râpée

Mix the carrots and chopped parsley. Make a dressing with everything else. Add, but not too much – don’t drown those carrots!

All amounts are up to your taste. I like a dressing heavy on the lemon juice and easy on the oil. If your carrots are young and tender you can skip the sugar but I like a pinch (or 3) to balance the lemon. I also like lots of parsley, as you can see. I often leave the pepper out. One could, I suppose, add raisins or currants… I won’t tell.

In any event, good and good for you indeed. Take care of yourselves, stay safe, stay home, and more soon!