This week’s FF is dedicated to the most caring and kind-hearted woman in my life – my dearest mom. It was her birthday this past Wednesday! Sadly, I wasn’t home to celebrate her so this FF is for you, Mom, because I’m missing you a little extra this week!
My mom was the og health and wellness guru. Just without a social media platform, profitable brand partnerships, and capitalizable trends. She’s been making bulk batches of quinoa, eating kale, and shopping at farmer’s markets for longer than my entire life – far before the health and wellness space existed. She was a registered dietician by trade, but lives the simple, intuitive food message that most current dietitians and health/wellness influencers try to preach. She’s taught me just about everything I know about food – what/how to buy and what/how to eat.
Growing up, on every Saturday morning and on every Tuesday after school, I would join my mom on her trips to the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market. She still goes every Tuesday and Saturday, and I still come along every chance I get. She goes to her favorite stands week after week and talks with the farmers who know her by name and give her what she’s going to buy without her even asking. I could write a whole FF about the sb fm and how much it means to me, but for this week and for my mom, I’ll stick with the carrots.
SB, CA
In my first year at Yale, I took a class called Writing About Food. Looking back, I’m not sure if it helped or hurt my writing (well, here I am, so I’ll pretend it helped). It did, however, change my impressions about food writers and their work. My opinion depends on the topic, the author, and it’s context within the food system. In this class, we read the chapter, “The 16.9 Carrot,” from Dan Barber’s book From The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food. I don’t remember the reason we read this chapter, but I remember the really confusing reaction I had to reading it and the following class discussion.
Barber, the chef and owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill Farm, recounts the story of one of his farmers who was obsessed with a particular carrot harvest because the carrots measured 16.9. That meant they were comprised of 16.9% sugar – an incredibly high number for a carrot. The farmer then compared his 16.9 carrot with a carrot grown in México. The other carrot measured 0.0. The farmer concluded they are entirely different organisms as a result of their growing conditions (aka the soil). Barber uses this anecdote to point out the problematic industrial agriculture complex that destroys the soil and starves vegetables of their nutrients. Barber is a wealthy and privileged actor in our food system, so I don’t think he’s in the best position to criticize the result of food injustice, but aside from that – soil degradation is a worthy discussion.
(If you’re curious about soil – feel free to indulge on this movie, Symphony of the Soil. It’s 104 minutes of an “artistic exploration of the miraculous substance soil.”)
Academically, I am so interested in that topic, but because Barber’s chapter was about carrots – I could only think about the carrots.
I grew up on these carrots, and I was positive they were better than Dan Barber’s 16.9 carrots. Even when I imagined the taste of Barber’s carrots, it fell short to the carrots. No carrots were as good as my mom’s carrots. She discovered these carrots. Okay, yes they already existed, but she found them amidst all the wonderful Santa Barbara carrot options and introduced them to our family and all of our friends. Truthfully, I didn’t even know where the carrots came from before writing this post. Obviously, they are local to the Santa Barbara area, but I had no idea the name of the farm or how to explain them other than by “”the carrots.” After some zooming in on pictures, I discovered they’re from Roots Organic Farm grown in Los Olivos, California. If you know me, you’ve probably heard about the carrots, and if you’re lucky I’ve spared a few from the gallon size bags full of carrots I cart across the country so you can experience the carrot magic.
I’m dramatic about about how incredibly special these carrots are. I know that. I talk about them a lot and make everyone I can try them to showcase what a carrot should taste like. IYKYK is always the joke because if you know about the carrots then you understand my obsession and it’s worth. I love them for their funky shapes, sweet taste, nutrient density, and the way connect me to my home and family, especially my mom.
In the early day’s of our trips to the FM, I wasn’t quite tall enough to see the carrots, but my mom still showed me how to pick out the best ones – rounded tops and no cracks. On many occasions friends of ours have insisted on coming with us to the market, so my mom can show them where the carrots are, so they can buy them too. When I’m at school, I miss the carrots. I miss my go to snack everyday. I miss picking them out with my mom, and peeling them with her company in the kitchen.
Reuniting with the carrots is my favorite because it also means I get to see the woman who comes along with them! She carefully transports them across the country in bags labeled “Natasha :)” and has them ready for me to eat every time she picks me up at the airport – knowing I’m probably starving and will never turn down the carrots. Look at this lady! She’s the best! Just like the carrots!
Kendra w/ carrots at LAX 
Kendra w/ carrots in NH, CT
See you, Mom, and the carrots in August!
Sadly, technology isn’t evolved enough for me to attach a sample of the carrots to this post, so I created a carrot inspired recipe as a (weak) replacement instead.
Batter 
Carrot Prep
Carrot Cookies
Cookies
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup oat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting (optional)
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon water
Directions
Cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine oats, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt into a bowl. Mix the melted coconut oil with the maple syrup and add to the bowl. Combine well with a spatula. Fold in the shredded carrots and walnuts. Spoon onto baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. Let the cookies cool completely before icing.
Frosting: Mix yogurt, maple syrup, cinnamon, and water together. Drizzle on cooled cookies.
Keep refrigerated if frosted.
Enjoy!
With empowerment, Natasha
fwordsonly 