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Baby carrots

We didn't have baby carrots when I was a child. And of course we never thought of pulling them up from the garden before they were fully grown. I seem to remember small carrots in cans, but they were really big carrots cut into can-sized lengths.

My Mum used to cook carrots almost every day, but they were always the big ones. "One green and one red vegetable every day", she used to say, but in this instance she equated orange with red. We all believed that carrots were good for your eyesight, but that is another story.

Baby carrots began to appear in Australia in the 1990s and again they were always orange. Nowadays they might be red, orange, white, purple or even black.

Did you know that carrots (the big ones) used to always be purple or black, but the Dutch bred orange carrots possibly 400 years ago? They caught on immediately, probably because they looked healthier as they were more colourful.

Baby carrots can be eaten raw or steamed, roasted, baked and even juiced. They go well with beef, chicken, fish, feta, spices, butter or honey. Baby carrots, whatever colour, can add a tasty, healthy vegetable to your dinner plate.

Clare McBeath

Roasted baby carrots with onions

20-24 different coloured baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed 10-12 small white onions, halved

Preheat oven to 190°C. Oil a large roasting pan. Put the carrots and onion halves in a large bowl and gently toss with olive oil until well coated. Arrange in a single layer in the pan and roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar and gently toss to coat. Roast for a further 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and caramelised. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and sesame seeds for extra flavour.

If you can't access differently coloured carrots, standard orange baby carrots will do.