CARROTS & APRICOTS It's Just Not Thanksgiving Without Them Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for one simple reason. The food. When I think of the things I am most thankful for, of course family, friends, good health and a lovely life are at the top of the list. BUT, the number one thing I'm thankful for every year, is that I've been blessed with the fortune of having amazing chefs in my family. Our families' traditional Thanksgiving dinner is similar to most households' across the country: roast turkey, sweet, tangy cranberries, pillowy mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and an assortment of individual favorites - fresh green salads, pearl onions floating in cream, whipped fluffy sweet potatoes and even plain pasta. My personal favorite is a dish my mom has made for as long as I can remember and truthfully, it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving if her sweet and savory carrots and apricots aren't on the table. The shredded bright orange carrots and chewy sweet apricots are bathed in sherry and chicken stock, pairing perfectly with roasted or smoked turkey and all of the holiday accouterments. They are not only a perfect addition to the harvest meal, but can be made the day before and hold up days later with the bounty of leftovers we are sure to have. Ingredients 2.5 lbs. carrots, shredded 3/4 cup dried apricots, julienned 1/2 cup cooking sherry (add more for taste) 2 cups chicken broth 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 tablespoons butter, divided 4 tablespoons olive oil S&P Directions In a food processor or with a hand grater, shred your carrots. In a sauté pan with 2" sides, warm olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter until barely bubbling. Add onions and a dash of salt and pepper. When the onions are translucent, add the carrots. Cook for approximately 5 minutes to combine the flavors. Add your apricots and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and Sherry, slowly and in that order bringing them to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper adding the last tablespoon of butter to create a glossy coat. Serves 6-8 as a side dish. Can also be made with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option. http://www.emeritusvineyards.com Rebecca Toedter http://www.emeritusvineyards.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Toedter Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5266487

When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm, plump orange fruit that gives slightly when you press with your thumb. Bruised apricots should be avoided. Like apples and potatoes, apricots contain polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that combines with phenols in the apricots to produce brownish pigments that discolor the fruit.

When apricots are bruised, cells are broken, releasing the enzyme so that brown spots form under the bruise. Avoid apricots that are hard or mushy or withered. All are less flavorsome than ripe, firm apricots, and the withered ones will decay quickly. Also avoid greenish apricots as they are low in carotenes and will never ripen satisfactorily at home.

Always try to store ripe apricots in the refrigerator and use them within a few days. Apricots do not lose their vitamin A in storage, but they are very perishable and rot fairly quickly.

When you peel or slice an apricot, you tear its cells walls, releasing polyphenoloxidase, an enzyme that reacts with phenols in the apricots, producing brown compounds that darken the fruit. Acids inactivate polyphenoloxidase, so you can slow down this reaction (but do not stop it completely) by dipping raw sliced and/or peeled apricots into a solution of lemon juice or vinegar and water or by mixing them with citrus fruits in a fruit salad. Polyphenoloxidase also works more slowly in the cold, but storing peeled apricots in the refrigerator is much less effective than an acid bath.

To peel apricots easily, drop them into boiling water for a minute or two, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and plunge them into cold water. As with tomatoes, this works because the change in temperature damages a layer of cells under the skin so the skin slips off easily.

If you are wondering what actually happened when you cook apricots, cooking dissolves pectin, the primary fiber in apricots, and softens the fruit. But it does not change the color or lower the vitamin A content because carotenes are impervious to the heat of normal cooking.

Cindy is the host of http://www.asianonlinerecipes.com, a Free Asian Recipes website dedicated to all things on Asian Cooking and Culinary Guide.

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