About the Harvest
Carrots:
Carrots are derived from a Middle Eastern crop called Queen Anne’s Lace. This wild ancestor is also a taproot crop with a white root. For thousands of years, the carrot was not a popular vegetable because it had a woody texture and was difficult to eat. A subspecies of this plant has been selectively bred over centuries to produce the crisp and sweet garden vegetables that we eat today. Today, the largest producers of carrots are China, the United States, Poland, Japan, and France.
Carrots are root vegetables that are crisp in texture and vary in color from orange to white, purple or black. They can be eaten raw, steamed, baked, boiled, or cooked in soups and stews. Carrots are rich in vitamin A and can supply over 100% of the recommended daily value in just one serving! They also contain vitamin B6, vitamin K, and modest amounts of other essential nutrients.
In India, they make a carrot pudding called Gajar ka halwa. It is made with shredded carrots, ghee, milk, sugar and cardamom. Cole Slaw originated in the Netherlands. The dish includes carrots, cabbage and a creamy sweet and sour dressing.
Beef:
Beef is a source of protein that comes from cows. Modern domestic cattle evolved from a single early ancestor, the aurochs.
Early cattle served a triple-purpose. They provided meat, milk, and labor to their owners. Horses eventually replaced the labor so cows only provided dairy and meat.
There are more than 750 breeds of cows around the world. About 70 breeds are found in the US. Some common breeds include Angus, Charolais, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Limousin, Shorthorn, and Simmental.
In Somalia, most of the population is muslim, so meat must be halal. Halal means lawful or permitted. For meat to be certified halal, it must be slaughtered in a manner known as dhabiha. In Bhutan, a favorite dish is Shakam Paa made with dried beef, red chili, radish or beans and spring onion. Beef Rendang is a famous beef dish from Indonesia. It is a coconut beef stew served with rice or noodles. Hilachas Guatemalan is made with flank or skirt steak that is shredded and simmered with a lightly spiced tomato sauce and potatoes.