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Monday, July 31, 2017

#COOKING WITH CLORIS—A NEW SPIN ON AN OLD CLASSIC, CARROT & RAISIN SALAD

Growing up we were told to eat our carrots because doing so would improve our eyesight. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is a naturally occurring pigment in the eye, so it made sense.

According to the the Cooking Channel's Food: Fact or Fiction?, though, you can eat all the carrots you want, but they won’t help you see better. However, rather than a food myth perpetrated by moms trying to get their kids to each their veggies, the idea of carrots improving eyesight was deliberate propaganda planted by the British during World War II. The reason? To hide the development of radar systems used in nighttime skirmishes against the Nazis. If the Germans thought the Brits’ success was because everyone in Britain was suddenly eating lots of carrots, they wouldn’t grow suspicious over the possibility of some new technical achievement that was improving pilots’ accuracy.

We eat lots of fresh salad during the summer, but no one wants to eat the same thing over and over again. So I’m always looking for ways to come up with new twists on old standbys. Today, I’ve updated the classic carrot and raisin salad.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Four large carrots, grated
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
2 nectarines, diced
2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients together. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

2 comments:

Angela Adams said...

Don't laugh at this question (smile)! But do you know if the salad is good without the pecans? Some of my family have allergies and are "nut free." Thanks.

ANASTASIA POLLACK said...

Hi Angela! You can certainly make the salad without the pecans. The nuts add a bit of crunch, but they're not essential.