It is hard not to be impressed with carrots as you pull them up. Like everything grown in your own garden there is something remarkable in harvesting a beautiful vegetable grown from seed.

Before organic produce really took off great numbers of people had already worked out that supermarket carrots tasted like soap.

The carrots from your garden are sweet and crunchy. I know people who go out to the garden, pull one up, wash it and eat it instead of other snack food choices.

There is always a little mystery there too. How big will this carrot be? Remember to keep your carrots covered with soil. This stops them turning a bit green around the tops.

One of the most exotic yet simple carrot salads I know came from Deborah Madison’s classic book Greens. In this the dish the carrots are long strips made with a vegetable peeler. These are tossed with a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and orange flower water.

It is also lovely to julienne carrots in a tiny bit of water until they are just soft. In a little saucepan melt a dob of butter, a little dried mint and a spoon of honey. Simmer it for a few minutes and stir in the carrot.

I hope you are enjoying the Spring in your garden and harvesting your own home grown carrots. I’d love to hear what your favourite carrot dishes are.