CARROT ROUNDS

Serves 4 If you find really big and thick carrots, this is a perfect way to cut and serve them. If not, this will work with whole baby carrots just as well. Carrots are one of our favorite vegetables; it’s a sweet root vegetable that is high in beta-carotene, a super-good-for-you antioxidant that’s great for your eyes and skin. We like to serve carrots with nutmeg because it’s a perfect complement! Cinnamon is delicious too. Nutmeg is the seed of a tree that originally only grew on ten tiny islands in the middle of the ocean. It was rare and thought to be a very special seasoning. A few smart people put their heads together and figured out how to share nutmeg all over the world from its tiny home. We’re glad it’s not rare anymore! INGREDIENTS • 4 large, thick carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds (about 1 pound (454 g)) • 2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut oil, liquefied • 1 tsp (5 ml) salt • ½ tsp nutmeg INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP 1 Toss all ingredients until all carrots are coated. 2 Make sure the carrots are in a single layer (we sometimes need to use 2 pans). 3 Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Carrot rounds are the simplest side in the rotation — thick carrot slices tossed in coconut oil, salt, and an unusually generous dose of nutmeg, roasted at 400°F until the edges caramelise. Thirty minutes turns them sweet and faintly spicy. Whole baby carrots work just as well if that's what the store has.

Pro Tips

• Slice the carrots into rounds of even thickness — even slices roast evenly, and a thin round will burn while a fat one stays crisp.
• Keep the rounds in a single layer, even if that means two pans; piled-up carrots steam grey instead of browning.
• Nutmeg is the whole point — use the full ½ teaspoon, and grate it fresh if you can. Cinnamon is the natural understudy.
• If you can only find baby carrots, halve them lengthways so the flat side sears against the pan like a round does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I prep carrot rounds ahead?

Peel and slice up to two days ahead and keep them in water in the fridge — they lose nothing. Toss with oil and nutmeg only just before roasting.

Why nutmeg instead of herbs?

Nutmeg's warmth plays up the carrots' natural sweetness in a way sage or thyme can't — it's a classic pairing, and cinnamon works the same trick.

What if my carrots aren't browning?

The pan was crowded or the oven runs cool — split them across two sheets and give them the full 30 minutes, since the caramelised edges are where the sweetness concentrates.

Can I use a different fat?

Olive oil or melted lard substitutes one-for-one, but coconut oil's slight sweetness is the best match for the nutmeg here.

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