By The ISFA work continues — another kitchen table this week, another young family with numbers that might work. I sat across from a couple in Hamilton County and laid out the grants and watched their faces change from fear to possibility, and the change is the thing I live for now.
Thursday was tater tot hotdish, because Thursday is always tater tot hotdish and the schedule doesn't change for anything — not pandemics, not loss, not the passage of years. The tater tots go in at 375 and come out golden and the family eats them and the eating is the Thursday and the Thursday is the structure and the structure holds. But I also made pot roast with more carrots earlier this week, because the kitchen doesn't only look backward. The kitchen grows.
The trees along the highway are turning — maples red, oaks gold, the Bradford pears doing their useless purple thing. Iowa falls are short and violent and beautiful. The kitchen shifts to slow mode: crockpots, Dutch ovens, the oven at 375 from September through April. The fall cooking is the cooking of a woman settling in for the long season.
I had added more carrots to the pot roast almost without thinking — just reached for them because the bin was full and the season called for root vegetables and abundance. But they stayed with me after dinner, the way a good ingredient sometimes does, and I found myself wanting to give them their own moment. Carrots Lyonnaise is the kind of recipe that trusts the vegetable: butter, onion, a little patience, nothing fussy. It felt right for a week spent watching fear turn into possibility at kitchen tables that aren’t mine — simple, honest, and quietly sustaining.
Carrots Lyonnaise
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth or water, as needed
Instructions
- Blanch the carrots. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the sliced carrots and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until just barely tender but still holding their shape. Drain well and set aside.
- Cook the onions. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the sliced onion, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 15 minutes until the onions are soft, golden, and lightly caramelized. Do not rush this step — low and slow builds the flavor.
- Combine and finish. Add the blanched carrots to the skillet with the onions. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and stir gently to coat. If the pan looks dry, add the tablespoon of broth or water to loosen. Cook together for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are heated through and glazed.
- Season and serve. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and scatter the chopped parsley over the top. Serve immediately alongside pot roast, roasted chicken, or any slow-cooked fall main.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 148 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 17g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 290mg