Purple carrots are my new favorite veggie. Organic, locally grown and purchased at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. I might go every week just to get my fix! Most people have never seen purple carrots. I know I hadn't until I went to the farmers market. I'm always on the look out for new and unusual vegetables.
Here are some interesting carrot facts:
In Roman times carrots were purple or white. By the 10th century purple carrots were grown in Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern Iran. Purple, white and yellow carrots were imported to southern Europe in the 14th century. Black, red and white carrots were also grown. Purple carrots were used as a clothing dye fro Afghan royalty.
Orange carrots arrived from natural mutations of yellow forms, and then by human selection and development, probably in the Netherlands. It is thought that humans made selections from a genepool involving yellow rooted eastern carrots, cultivated white-rooted derivatives of wild carrot (grown as medicinal plants since classical times) and wild unselected populations of adjacent Daucus Carota subspecies in Europe and the Mediterranean.
They're super nutritious for you too!
The findings of the recent Australian study revealed the ancient carrot to be packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory goodness - up tp 28 times more anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that are responsible for the purple-red pigment in raspberries and blueberries, than there are in orange carrots.
Keep an eye out for these tasty veggies next time you're at the store or farmers market! Give them a shot! What have you got to lose? All you can do is improve your health.
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| Roasted Purple Carrots and Lemon-Butter Halibut |
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