Rae: This is an old-timey High Holiday vegetable side dish, sweetened with honey and raisins or prunes and, sadly, often simmered to mushy blandness. To get past that problem, roast the carrots first, to brown them and coax out their natural sweetness, and then bring everything together on the stove top at the end. Sunflower seeds add a nutty note to the chewy prunes and raisins.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2
In a roasting pan, toss the carrots with the oil, salt, and pepper. Cook in the oven, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are lightly browned and somewhat tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, combine the honey, juice from 1 1/2 lemons (reserve the remaining lemon half), thyme, and 1/3 cup water in a large pan or skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook the mixture over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then remove and discard the thyme. Remove the pan from the heat.
Step 4
When the carrots are done cooking, pour the carrots, prunes, and raisins into the pan with the honey mixture and stir to coat completely.
Step 5
Add the ginger and cinnamon, and simmer the carrot-honey mixture over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid has reduced to a thick glaze, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the sunflower seeds and juice from the remaining 1/2 lemon and remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the chopped parsley.
