You know that bag of carrots sitting in the refrigerator.  The one that you always buy just in case.  And now you feel like you have a whole new bank of knowledge just from watching that bag of carrots, month after month grow mold spores that some scientists would look longingly at, wishing they had the patience to wait for such a colony.

Throw it away and buy yourself a new bag of carrots, and as soon as you get home, get them out of the bag, peel them, cut them into half inch bits and toss them into a pan that has been given a pour of olive oil, a whole garlic clove, a sprig of parsely, a sprig of thyme, a knob of butter, and two chopped shallots that have had a minute to get used to the pan before the carrots join them.  Give all of this a sprinkle of sea salt, a grind of black pepper, and a good saute for about 10 minutes over a medium flame.  Add to this, just plain water–enough to cover the carrots, and then cover with a lid to cook at a simmer.  When the carrots are completely tender, strain them, reserving the liquid.  Puree the carrots with a few spoonfuls of their liquid in a blender, and then reunite with the liquid.  Add heavy, organic cream to taste, along with a tiny grating of nutmeg and a teeny weeny pinch of ground red pepper.   Serve with buckwheat crepes on the side and small chunks of crisped pancetta and an endive salad.