Roasted Baby Carrots with Thyme

The farm-to-table trend is not only healthy, but also gets you to try exotic foods, like these jeweled roasted baby carrots with thyme.

I love farmer’s markets. I find walking up and down the stalls to be super relaxing and enjoyable. It is not only my happy place, but I find so much inspiration amongst the gorgeous fruits and vegetables that I find there.

Summer farmer’s markets are personal favorite because hello?! Summer produce! So many wonderful treats to see and sample. Nothing beats the quaint farmer’s market where you meander up and down the stalls and sample the goodies.

When my kids were little, they were dazzled with the many colorful carrots and berries they found here. And they thoroughly enjoyed sampling the slices of peaches, oranges and strawberries.

Which one tasted better? Let me try another piece!

Why you should try this recipe

I dragged my family to visit the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, which is over 30 minutes away from us. It is one of the largest farmer’s markets in San Diego. The kids were fascinated with the colors, varieties and smells they encountered.

White cucumbers. Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. Bejeweled carrots. Swoon!

When you have high quality produce that really does taste good, you do not need to do much to cook them. Don’t drown them in heavy sauces or steam them until they turn to mush.

Roasting vegetables is my personal favorite way to enjoy them. It is quick and simple and the flavors almost caramelize while they roast.

I am not really a fan of cooked carrots, but oh did I fall in love with these roasted baby carrots. Just a drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper and a sprinkling of fresh thyme and you have a delicious, elegant and simple side dish.

Ingredients you need

• Baby carrots: I am talking about small immature, young carrots not those knobby small snack carrots that are cut from larger carrots. Choose all one color or a variety of colors.
• Extra virgin olive oil: Olive oil adds flavor and helps the carrots caramelize while it roasts. You can use a peppery or mild flavored olive oil.
• Fresh thyme: Since we are talking about farm to table, use fresh thyme, oregano or rosemary and not dried herbs.
• Salt and pepper

Step-by-step directions

1. Coat carrots with extra virgin olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400ºF until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Time will vary depending on size and thickness of carrots.

2. Transfer carrots to a serving platter, garnish with fresh thyme.

Recipe tips and FAQs

Don’t let the simpleness of this recipe fool you. Baby carrots are more tender and delicious compared to the full grown variety. Again, don’t get the snack carrots. Those are cut from larger mature carrots and take longer to cook.

I finished the dish with some fresh thyme, but you can use any fresh herbs you have growing in your garden.

Do you have access to a good farmer’s market? And if you do, how often do you go?

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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