Armenian Carrot Salad by Pattie Sue Knapp

Armenian Style

Carrot Salad

  • When ethnic groups develop in isolation they develop distinctive patterns of behavior, dress, farming, animal husbandry, as well as food and diet patterns. When ethnic groups share boundaries, often food items are adopted across tribal borders and are adopted as their own. Other times the exchange across borders is less dramatic and with more subtitle influences. In the Middle East, where so many small ethnic groups abut one another, baklava is a good example; they all claim it isas their own and as the one-and-only original.
  • Meds Mama grew up in a part of Armenia that is very close to the boundary with Turkey. Many of her family recipes reflect ore Turkish influence than Armenian. As such, this Armenian-style carrot salad, with many influences from Turkish Havuç Tarator, might well have been a salad longingly prepared by Meds Mama Sarkissian.

    • Preparation: About 1 hour and 15 minutes Life Experience Recipe
    Serves 4 persons Pattie Sue Knapp ala Meds Mama Sarkissian
    Ingredients:
    • 4 large carrots
    • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced and crushed
    • ½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
    • Salt and pepper, taste
    • ¼ cup sliced scallions or julienned roasted red Bell pepper (optional)
    • ¾ cup frozen peas
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ Cup Greek-style yogurt
    • Chopped fresh parsley and chopped walnuts for garnish
    Procedure
    1. Coarsely grate carrots with a box grater. Heat olive oil is sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add carrots, Season with salt and pepper. Stir fry until softened, perhaps 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and place carrots in a bowl. Add the minced and crushed garlic. Set uncovered on counter to completely cool, about 30 minutes.

    2. Add frozen peas in boiling salted water, cook just until tender. Remove from heat, drain and place the peas in iced water to preserve their vibrant green color. When cooled drain well and set aside. Add the cooled peas to the carrot mixture and mix.

    3. Add the two yogurts to the carrot mixture and toss until well combined. Decorate with your preferred garnishes.

    4. Salads seldom have a definitive recipe. By nature they are eclectic dishes. The list of ingredients may reflect the use of foods uneaten in previous meals or the use of local fruits and vegetables, in season and on hand. Eggplant, peeled and diced into about ½-inch cubes, tossed in olive oil and sheet roasted on parchment paper in a 375° oven for 15 to 18 minutes and then cooled can be added to this recipe to make a tasty variation.

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