by Paul Cormier, Salamanders of Kemptville
Sometimes, the simplest dishes give the most pleasure. Such is the case with Ma Cormier’s Carrot Salad, a personal favourite of mine. I must confess that when I was little, my own ma would send us out with a bag of garden carrots and a salt shaker when we were hanging out in one of our “forts”, so chomping down on this salad is somewhat nostalgic. It seems to appear most often at farm meals when we are having one of Doug’s roast chickens. That’s the same Doug whose bannock recipe appeared last week: he raises birds in addition to providing some excellent brown eggs. So, without further ado, here is the simple recipe for Carrot Salad.
Carrot Salad
Ingredients
A bag of large carrots (depending on how much salad you want)
A couple of handfuls of raisins (depending on how many carrots you use and your taste for raisins)
A large onion
3 or 4 tablespoons of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise that you have sweetened with a bit of sugar
A couple of tablespoons of vinegar
A bit of salt and pepper (don’t over-do the salt)
Perhaps a pinch more of sugar, if you’ve a mind
Preparation
Peel any number of large carrots into a bowl; for a reasonable size recipe, 3 is fine
Shave the large onion
Mix the carrots, onions, Miracle Whip or mayo, the vinegar, and salt and pepper
The mixture should not be overly wet; give it a taste and adjust the various seasonings and quantity of seasonings (I like it a bit sweeter, but sometimes the carrots provide enough sweetness to satisfy)
Refrigerate for at least an hour, taste, and adjust again if needed, and serve
This salad also benefits from overnight marinating; so if you want to make enough for several meals, that’s fine.
A reasonable substitute for raisins is dried cranberries (Craisins).
Many thanks to those of you who have reported in on their success with the recipes, or have just sent best wishes. All are most welcome and appreciated. So, please keep in touch at pcormier@ranaprocess.com.