We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in Tennessee with my husband’s family. It was great to have everyone together, and get to see baby Asa. While we were feasting on Thanksgiving dinner, though, something was feasting on my carrot tops back at home. I was a little disappointed, since the last batch I harvested was so good, and I didn’t think the rest were ready yet. I had to dig them up the ground was so wet, and was happily surprised – I got 4 or 5 pounds of carrots! It turns out my last batch was all Nantes variety, and the Little Fingers were still in the ground. They really do look like little fingers – not tapered as much as other carrots, and most the length of a long finger. After much scrubbing, I sauteed them in olive oil with a little honey and thyme. Perfect. These are aptly named, since Shawn loved them. I thought I’d have some leftover for lunch the next day, but no such luck.
Honey Thyme Carrots
- 1 lb carrots (preferably fresh, and on the small side)
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T butter
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 T honey
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cut the carrots in quarters lengthwise, then in 3-4″ lengths.
Heat olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Saute carrots 10-12 minutes until soft and beginning to brown, adjusting heat if necessary. Add butter, thyme, honey, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat, and cook 5 minutes more.
an intermittent gourmet ~ real food, real life 
A long time ago, when you were little, we put carrots in the garden. I personally didn’t think that they worked out very well. It’s hard to dig them out and you don’t get very much in return for the invested labor.
They remind me of two other plants that have a very low ROI (being a business student, you know that’s “Return On Investment). They are lima beans and, especially, corn. We planted lima beans once or twice and, after all the work, we were left with a handful of beans. They were good, but it seemed like a paltry return.
Corn, I’m thinking, is a deeply wasteful and destructive plant. I don’t know why our neolithic ancestors started with it. You have this big plant that generates two or three ears, each of which produces a cupful of kernels. What a waste! You have the big plant and then the cobs, that are basically waste. If you want corn, just go to a roadside stand.
The global role of corn, both as a food stock and an energy source, is also highly troubling. Whether in your own little garden or in worldwide agribusiness, then, corn is a bad deal.