Carrot Cake

From Colorado Cache, 1978

I do not have a picture of carrot cake, yet

1 ½ cups vegetable oil

1 ½ cups sugar

4 eggs, well beaten

3 cups grated carrots

2 cups unbleached flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup raisins

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 F, 160 C.  Grease and sugar a 10 by 14 inch pan.

Cream oil and sugar. Add eggs and carrots and mix well. Mix dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to carrot mixture, a small amount at a time, beating well. When blended add the pecans, raisins and vanilla. Pour into the pan and bake for about an hour. Cool a little before frosting.

Frosting:

½ cup butter, melted

1 8-ounce package cream cheese (I use 200 grams Labne)

2 cups sifted powdered sugar (icing sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine melted butter and cheese with sugar and beat well. Add vanilla and spread on the cooled cake.

Roasted Caramelized Beets

Hulya was talking about this in the teacher’s lounge, so I had to try it, very nice

1 kg beets

2 to 3 medium sized onions

6 cloves garlic, skin on, but rough end cut off

coarse salt

pepper

olive oil, ½ cup ish

balsamic vinegar about ¼ cup

Preheat oven to 200 C (390-400 F), my oven is convection so I used 180 C (350 F). Clean beets and cut off the end, I just peeled off the hairy parts and cut the ends, otherwise- skin on. Cut beets in half if they are not small. Take the skin off the onions and cut into quarters. Put these in a dish. Place the garlic around the beets and onions.

Pour olive oil over the mixture, pour balsamic vinegar over that, then sprinkle some salt and pepper over the mixture. Cover with foil (I used a cookie sheet because I ran out of foil, and it worked very well), and bake in the oven at least an hour until beets are tender.

When mixture has cooled a little, squeeze the garlic pieces and mix the paste with the mixture. Add to salad, or just as is.