Orange crush! 17 delicious ways with carrots – from barbecued hotdogs to tempting tarts

They are versatile, forgiving and long lasting - but it's easy to overlook carrots. Here are some inspiring new ways to use them

Carrots are always with us. Even in the UK, the season is practically year round. Properly stored carrots can last for months. Improperly stored - which is the way I do it - they go a bit bendy after a couple of weeks. Their robustness also has a downside: we often use up more delicate purchases first, knowing the carrots will still be there in the fridge when the fun stuff has run out. Versatile though they may be, carrots don't immediately inspire. And they certainly don't get any more inspiring as they get bendier.

It doesn't have to be this way. Carrots come in an enticing variety of sizes - from giant to micro - and a rainbow of colours. Orange is not the only carrot: there is also purple and yellow and white. We also need to consider non-standard carrot shapes: the bent, knobbly and two-legged. Carrots are subject to more fussy aesthetic scrutiny than almost any other vegetable. It is estimated that between a quarter and a half of all carrots grown are discarded for cosmetic reasons before they reach the shelves. If you see an ugly carrot, buy it.