Black Dirt Region Purple Carrots, Bunch

In ancient Roman times, carrots were commonly purple or white. The now-everyday orange carrot was the creation of 16th century Dutch growers. We find these sweet, crunchy, locally grown carrots are more apple-like in texture and sugary in flavor than their orange cousins. They look lovely on a vegetable platter and make a violet purée that enlivens a dinner plate. The Black Dirt Region, spanning southern Orange County, New York and northern Sussex County, New Jersey, is home to family-owned farms situated on thousands of acres of deep, richly organic soil — the result of ancient glaciers melting, river overflow and plant decay. The lush valley is best known for its production of the prized "black-dirt onion," as well as other root vegetables.