4 cups wild or baby arugula

2 cups grated carrots

2 tablespoons broken walnuts (1/2 ounce)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or crumbled blue cheese (1 ounce)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, pureed or finely minced (optional)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons walnut oil

1. Combine the arugula, carrots, walnuts, cheese and tarragon in a salad bowl.

2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the lemon juice, vinegars, salt and mustard. Whisk together, and add the garlic. Whisk in the oils.

3. Shortly before serving, toss the salad with the dressing.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: You can combine the salad ingredients several hours before serving and refrigerate in a covered bowl. The dressing will also hold for several hours, in or out of the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 259 calories; 25 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 4 grams cholesterol; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 146 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 4 grams protein

Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 172 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 3 grams cholesterol; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 98 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 2 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her latest book, “The Very Best of Recipes for Health,” was published recently by Rodale Books.

Unlike many other orange vegetables rich in beta-carotene, carrots are versatile in both their raw and cooked states. I grate raw carrots and use them in salads, cakes and breads. You can cook carrots quickly in a stir-fry, simmer them for soup, or give them a long roast in the oven. (Roasting will intensify their sweetness, while simmering will yield a delicious broth.)

Sometimes the texture of carrots is as important to a dish as their flavor — they really can bulk up a sauce or stew. And if you’re stumped trying to get more vegetables into your kids’ diets, carrots may be the answer, as most children like them raw or cooked.

Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup With Mint or Tarragon

This easy, beautiful purée makes a nice Thanksgiving opener, with the added benefit of extra doses of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and fiber. If you’re looking to get ahead with your meal, you can make this dish up to two days ahead of the big day.

1 tablespoon canola oil or unsalted butter

2 medium shallots, chopped

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

6 cups water, chicken stock or vegetable stock

2 sprigs tarragon

A 1-inch piece of orange zest

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint or tarragon

1. Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots. Cook, stirring, until tender, three to five minutes. Add carrots. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes until they begin to soften. Add the sweet potatoes, water or stock, tarragon sprigs and orange zest, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes or until all of the ingredients are thoroughly tender. Remove the orange zest, and discard.

2. Purée the soup in batches in a blender, removing the stopper from the top and holding a kitchen towel tightly over the top to avoid splashing, or in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Return to the pot, heat through, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the mint or tarragon, and serve.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: This will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving (four servings): 204 calories; 4 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 40 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 192 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 4 grams protein.

Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 136 calories; 3 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams cholesterol; 27 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 128 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 2 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her latest book, "The Very Best of Recipes for Health," was published recently by Rodale Books.

1 1/2 cups (1/2 pound) unsalted toasted almonds

1/4 cup raw brown (turbinado) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

4 large eggs

1/3 cup organic white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups finely grated carrots (about 10 ounces)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle. Oil a 9-inch springform pan, and line it with parchment. Lightly oil the parchment.

2. Combine the almonds and the turbinado sugar in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Blend until the almonds are finely ground. Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest, and pulse together.

3. Beat the eggs until thick in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with an electric beater. Add the organic sugar, and continue to beat until the mixture is thick and forms a ribbon when lifted from the bowl with a spatula. Beat in the vanilla. Add the almond mixture and the carrots in three alternating additions, and slowly beat or fold in each time.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan. Place in the oven, and bake one hour until firm to the touch and beginning to pull away from the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and carefully remove the spring form ring. Allow the cake to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic.

Yield: Serves 10 to 12.

Advance preparation: This cake is a good keeper if wrapped well. Refrigerate for up to five days.

Nutritional information per serving (10 servings): 209 calories; 13 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 85 grams cholesterol; 18 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 135 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 7 grams protein

Nutritional information per serving (12 servings): 174 calories; 11 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 71 grams cholesterol; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 112 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 6 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her latest book, "The Very Best of Recipes for Health," was published recently by Rodale Books.

2 pounds carrots, peeled quartered or cut into sixths lengthwise (depending on the size), then into 2-inch lengths

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon oregano

3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a sheet pan or a baking dish large enough to fit all of the carrots in a single layer. Place the carrots in a large bowl, and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.

2. Spread in an even layer in the prepared pan or baking dish. Cover with foil, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover, and if the carrots are not yet tender, turn the heat down to 375 degrees and return to the oven for 10 to 15 more minutes until tender. Add the parsley, stir gently, and taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves six.

Advance preparation: These will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving: 123 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams cholesterol; 15 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 106 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 1 gram protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com . Her latest book, “The Very Best of Recipes for Health,” was published recently by Rodale Books.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 pound carrots, peeled and finely diced (1/4 inch dice or smaller), or finely chopped in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (1 1/2 cups)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 pounds tomatoes, seeded and grated, or peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice

1/8 teaspoon sugar

1 sprig of fresh basil, if available

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, wide nonstick skillet or saucepan. Add the carrots. Cook, stirring, until tender, five to eight minutes. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the sugar, basil sprig, salt, tomato paste and oregano. Stir, and turn up the heat. When the tomatoes begin to bubble, lower the heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprig, and wipe any sauce adhering to it back into the pan. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Variation: Substitute 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme for the basil.

Yield: 2 1/4 cups (about eight servings).

Advance preparation: The sauce will keep for four to five days in the refrigerator and freezes well.

Nutritional information per serving (per rounded 1/4 cup): 65 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams cholesterol; 8 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 27 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 1 gram protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her latest book, "The Very Best of Recipes for Health," was published recently by Rodale Books.