Cabernet Franc Braised Roasted Carrots

The Faulkner Kids at Defiance have a favorite in our garden, and it's Carrots! We love to plant to plant them for many reasons: they are so easy to grow, fun to pull out, sometimes they twist into funny shapes, and when it comes time to eat them, its an easy win as a vegetable.

The combination of carrots and wine is a fun one too! Surprisingly there are a lot of antioxidants with the combination, tannins and resveratrol from the grapes/wine and beta-carotene from the carrots! These plant compounds are great at fighting free radicals or oxidative stress caused by aging. While we are not saying this dish will make you young, it is a healthy and flavorful option and a great use for wine even if you are cutting back on alcohol!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 13 large fresh sage leaves

• 1 pound small carrots (each about ½-inch thick) you can use a bag of baby carrots

• ½ medium onion (minced)

• ½ cup Cabernet Franc

• 1/4 cup water

• salt

• ground black pepper

Instructions

Fry Sage

1. Prepare a plate lined with a couple of layers of paper towels.

2. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil.

3. Add 10 sage leaves. Season with salt and pepper

4. Lightly fry the leaves until crisp on both sides, about 1 minute total.

5. Transfer the sages to the prepared paper towel plate. Set aside.

Cook Carrots

1. Add the carrots and onion to the pan.

2. Tear the remaining 3 sage leaves into small pieces and add to the carrots.

3. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Line the carrots in 1 layer.

4. Stir in the wine and add enough water to just cover the carrots.

5. Bring to a boil and cover with a lid.

6. Cook for about 10 minutes or until almost tender.

7. Remove the lid and boil off 95% of the liquid. Leave enough liquid for a light glaze.

8. Season with salt and pepper to your own taste. Transfer to serving plate. Top with the fried sage leaves. Serve hot or warm.