Winter Vegetables in Their Element: The Kyoto Carrot

Winter Vegetables in Their Element: The Kyoto Carrot

This time of year belongs to roots.

Carrots, potatoes, winter radishes, and other storage crops have been holding steady at the farm and at market. These are vegetables that reward patience—grown slowly, stored carefully, and best enjoyed with a little time in the kitchen. Cold weather concentrates their sugars and deepens their flavor, turning simple ingredients into something quietly remarkable.

We’ve been especially appreciative of carrots lately. They’re one of those vegetables that don’t need much explanation, but always seem to deliver. Sweet and crisp when raw, caramelized and savory when roasted, comforting in soups and stews—carrots are endlessly adaptable and deeply satisfying. They show up across cuisines and cooking styles, and they’re just as good dressed simply as they are layered into something more elaborate.

One of our favorite varieties is the Kyoto carrot. We first began growing it years ago at the request of Chef Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, who had worked with it in Japan and was looking for a carrot with exceptional sweetness, balance, and texture. Kyoto carrots are slender, deeply orange, and naturally sweet, with a clean flavor that holds up beautifully whether eaten raw, roasted whole, or gently cooked. They’ve since become a staple for us—and a reminder of how collaboration often shapes what ends up in our fields.

More recently, Chef Neal Harden at abcV has been featuring Kyoto carrots in a dumpling with carrot-ginger sauce, pecan chili crunch, and mint and cilantro—a dish that highlights just how versatile and expressive this variety can be, from market bag to plate.

If carrots have ever felt like an afterthought, winter is the season to reconsider them. They’re the foundation of a good mirepoix, a natural way to add sweetness and body to sauces, a counterpoint in grain bowls and salads, the base of soups and purées, or the star of something as simple as a roasted tray pulled straight from the oven. They even carry desserts—carrot cake included—with ease.

If you want to see these varieties in person, come visit us at the farmers market. We’re currently bringing Kyoto carrots alongside purple, yellow, white, and of course classic orange—each with its own character and uses.
👉 Find our market locations and days here: Winter Market Locations

In winter cooking, carrots don’t just play a supporting role. They carry the whole dish.