CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If there were an awards show for vegetables, I'll bet your vote for best use of carrots would be in a carrot cake. Mine, too.

But what would a hearty stew, soup and certain pasta tomato sauces be without the rabbit's favorite vegetable-garden snack?

Instead of tossing carrots into the pot, I like to make today's glazed carrots as a standalone item to serve alongside beef, chicken and pork stews. It's an excellent and nutritionally beneficial dish for any meal, and keeping the carrots separate allows space for other healthy stew ingredients, one of which is the turnip.

I know. Turnips aren't on the hit parade and often forgotten by most cooks, probably with good reason. But I can even eat them peeled and raw, sprinkled with salt.

When our children were younger (and more gullible), I mashed the cooked turnips from the beef stew with butter and told them they were potatoes. They have wised up now, but the ruse played for several years.

The carrot recipe is slightly sweetened with a little honey, but not enough to hurt, and spiced with a touch of ginger. The recipe was originally in Mr. Food's diabetic cookbook.

If you don't mind a minor inflation of carbs and calories, you could play with the recipe by adding raisins, craisins or dried cherries to simmer with the carrots and toasted walnuts or almonds at the end.

Honey Glazed Carrots

Makes 6 servings.

     1     pound carrots, rinsed, ends trimmed, peeled

     2     tablespoons Smart Balance buttery spread or favorite butter choice

     2     tablespoons honey

     1/2     teaspoon lemon juice

     1/4     teaspoon ground ginger

     1/8     teaspoon salt

COOK carrots in water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.

COMBINE remaining ingredients in small microwave-safe bowl as carrots cook; microwave honey mixture until butter is melted, whisking to blend.

POUR mixture over hot, drained carrots, stirring to coat; serve warm.

Nutrition information: Per 1/2 cup: 70 calories, 20 calories from fat, 2 grams fat, zero grams saturated fat, zero milligrams cholesterol, 115 milligrams sodium, 13 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram protein.

Reach Judy Grigoraci at ...@suddenlink.net.