Food - Saratoga Farmers' Market - Dave's Carrot Salad Recipe

DAVE’S CARROT SALAD (can be sampled at this week’s Saratoga Farmers’ Market)

This mildly tart, light salad makes a nice appetizer. It is a favorite of Dave and Liza Porter, cheese vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market and owners of Homestead Artisans Farm.

The two key ingredients are carrots and cheese. Use the freshest of each you can find so you can appreciate more than just the condiments. Pleasant View Farms and Kilpatrick Family Farm, both vendors at the winter market, will have an abundance of local carrots for you to purchase this week. Be experimental if you like. Carrots are not just orange and one can find red, yellow and white carrots to add color and subtle differences of flavor to the salad. The second key ingredient is Homestead Artisans fresh Quark Cheese. This cheese is a mild cow’s milk cheese with a delicate texture similar to sour cream. However, Quark is made from skimmed milk and is therefore lower in calories and cholesterol than sour cream. By adding raisins and/or dried cranberries a little bit of sweetness adds a nice touch to the vinegrette. I also like to add a small amount of chopped walnut or pecan—but there again it’s a personal choice. All in all, made with fresh ingredients, this is a wonderful, unique carrot salad sure to compliment your main course.

Ingredients

• 8-10 large carrots, grated

• Dressing:

• 2tbsp rice vinegar

• 2tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 tbsp dried dill (or ¼ c fresh dill, finely chopped)

• 8 oz Quark fresh cheese

• 1 tbsp sugar

• ¼ c raisins and ¼ c dried cranberries

Optional:

• Chopped walnuts or pecans to taste

Mix together, in your serving bowl, all the dressing ingredients. Add the grated carrots stirring to coat them evenly with dressing. Sprinkle raisins and cranberries over top (Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired). Serve immediately. This recipe should serve around 8-10 as an appetizer.