Mashed Carrots with Orange and Mint

Borrowed from Fine Cooking magazing

Serves 6

• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• kosher salt
• 2 T butter
• 2 T cream
• 2 T EVOO
• 1.5 T chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• Tabasco to taste

Put carrots in pot and cover by at least an inch of water. Salt water and bring to a boil for around 25 minutes. Heat all other ingredients in a pan over low heat until butter is melted. Puree carrots, then mix in seasoning sauce. 

Notes, suggestions...

When we made this, we mashed instead of pureed. It would have been much better pureed. Also, it's got a nice middle eastern flavor profile. It could benefit from some lemon juice, add to taste afterwards. Also, I might consider toasting some cumin seeds in a T or two of butter, and mixing that in (that's what I do for my red lentil dal, and this kind of reminds me of that.

We served this for Thanksgiving, and while it was very good, it was overwhelmed by the other flavors. It's more subtle, but still very good.