Carrot season

Today we discovered the garden at the local middle school , which is open to the public three days a week. Not only is everything organic, but the deal is that if you pick it yourself, you don’t have to pay for it. Gotta love a price plan like that!

We picked up some green beans, cucumbers, and FREE carrots (the kid picked them himself!), which I made into a really easy, herbed stir-fry. When the carrots are this young and fresh, you don’t even have to cut them up if you don’t want to! I found this tasty, fresh-herb-filled recipe at About.com, and didn’t even have to tweak it – it’s plenty healthy as-is! Enjoy!

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Carrot Stir-Fry

2 pounds carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onions, about 1 medium onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 orange cut into 8 wedges

Directions:

Wash carrots and trim; peel if desired. Cut in half crosswise. Heat oil on high in a large 12-inch skillet; place carrots closely together in pan in single layer. Sprinkle with chopped onion and freshly ground pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook, flipping carrots once after about 15 minutes. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes longer, or until fork-tender. Liquid should be evaporated and carrots beginning to caramelize at end of cooking time. Sprinkle with fresh herbs. Squeeze two of the orange wedges over carrots. Toss well and serve with remaining orange wedges. Serves 6.

(recipe via About.com)