Blackberry Farm chef Cassidee Dabney praises the versatility of carrots.
Growing beautiful carrots warrants bragging rights for Cassidee Dabney, executive chef at The Barn at Blackberry Farm. “My parents have always been big gardeners, and so now my sister and I are big gardeners, too,” she says. “I found a couple of carrot varieties that grow really well in my soil, so I’ve just had this great luck the past four years. And they’re so much fun because you can harvest them at different times of the year.” In her own yard, she grows varieties like Royal Chantenays and Scarlet Nantes. “It’s basically my therapy and meditation,” she adds.
In the kitchen, the meditation continues as she pulls together dishes with a singular focus. She prefers straightforward orange and yellow varieties for their flavor and versatility. “You can do everything with carrots, from savory to desserts; soups, cakes, raw. And you can treat their tops, the fronds, like an herb.”
IN A PICKLE
“I’m obsessed with finding ways to add flavor to pickles,” Dabney says. Before pickling carrots, which can be pretty sweet, she gives them a solid char over a hot grill, which adds a rich, smoky, umami flavor that balances things out. “You’ll want it on the plate with whatever you’re serving: a grain salad, a sandwich, or with seafood like shrimp or trout.”
LOOSE AS JUICE
The Barn features gnudi dishes frequently, and Dabney likes to add a fresh vegetable juice to the dish. “We juice the carrots and bring that to a simmer and mount it with a little butter, salt, and lemon juice. If the carrots aren’t too sweet, you can add a little honey, too.”
SWEETER STILL
“Anything you can make with apples, you can do with carrots,” Dabney says. She’s made a caramel from carrot juice to swirl into ice cream, sometimes adding ginger to the juice. “You can make a carrot puree and whipped carrot cream, or even a carrot mousse.”
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Erin Byers Murray
Erin Byers Murray has been digging into stories about food and wine for more than twenty years. Based in Nashville, she is the editor-in-chief of The Local Palate and has authored or co-authored half a dozen books, including deep dives into oysters and grits, as well as several cookbooks. Her work has been published in multiple publications, including Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, the Boston Globe, and three editions of Best Food Writing.