This past summer, I planted carrots. I put the seeds in the ground, didn't do much else to them, and let nature take its course. The deer stopped by to nibble on the carrot tops, I didn't thin the seedlings, and the carrots were left to grow as they pleased.
When it was finally time to pull them from the ground, I discovered funny-looking harvest. The carrots were short and fat, twisted around one another from growing too close together. By no means they were perfect, but they were carrots! Now, what to do with these imperfect little root vegetables?
A little while ago, I had come across a recipe for hot honey pickled carrots, and it seemed like the perfect way to put my unusual harvest to good use. The recipe called for carrots, vinegar, honey, garlic, and chili flakes.
I already had hot honey in my pantry, so there was no need to use the chili flakes. It also brought back a memory. When my daughter first moved to New York City, she lived in Brooklyn, just around the corner from the Bedford Cheese Shop. They carried Mike's Hot Honey, which was still a small business at the time. What was once a local Brooklyn favorite is now sold all across the United States! But the Bedford Cheese Shop is now out of business.
These hot honey pickled carrots turned out to be the perfect thing for my little odd-shaped harvest. They're sweet, tangy, a little spicy, and packed with flavor. Even the most imperfect carrots can become something delicious!
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