Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots

OK, so you know you take food a wee bit too seriously when your eleven-year-old son begs you to take a family trip to Whole Foods before school starts because "this is probably the last chance I'll get for a long time."

Or when you are more likely to have fresh summer fruit in your home than you are to have clean and folded clothing for your kids to wear to camp. (True story.)

But the moment I was sure it had gone too far was when my five-year-old told me nonchalantly this weekend that her best friend's hair smells so good, "it smells like produce." I figured she was mixing up her words. "Do you really mean produce, sweetie? Or did you mean something else maybe, like shampoo or flowers?"

"No, Mommy. Like produce. Like fruits and vegetables. That's how good it smells."

Wow. I think I've taken things too far. My maybe-not-so-healthy obsession with fruits and vegetables might just be rubbing off on my loved ones. What do you think? OK? Not too cool? Would love to hear your thoughts....

In the meantime, here's a recipe from a summer-produce-obsessed gal. I saw these rainbow carrots at Whole Foods and COULD NOT resist. I have made the same recipe dozens of times with ordinary carrots, and truth be told, it tasted just the same. But isn't this just the prettiest thing?

Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots

Makes a nice large pan of carrots, enough for 4-6 as a side dish. You can also toss it with two cups of cooked quinoa to make it into a main dish. 

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

black pepper, to taste

2 large bunches of carrots (rainbow carrots if you want to be fancy; but plain ones are JUST FINE)

Preheat the oven to 400*. 

Chop the garlic coarsely. Don't mince it too fine or it'll burn. 

In a large bowl, combine the garlic with the oil, honey, salt and pepper. Stir well with a fork. 

Next, peel your carrots and cut them into matchsticks. Yes, I know it's a nuisance and takes longer than just dumping them into the pan whole. Play some nice music or listen to your favorite podcast. And trust me on this. Your mouth will thank me for those happy shaped matchsticks. 

Put the carrot sticks into the bowl and toss them well to combine them with the honey-garlic-yumminess. 

Spray a large cookie sheet with baking spray (or brush on some oil). Pour on the carrots and spread them in a nice layer so they are not overlapping. 

Bake for 25-35 minutes - stirring occasionally - until the carrots are browning and developing a nice glaze. Eat anytime in the next few hours. (Or leave them on the counter and see how long they last.)