Northern gardens are covered in snow. Even in the warmest parts of the country, high-season crops won’t be producing for months to come. So what's a winter locavore to do?

Crunchy and bright and raw, shredded salads provide a flavorful surprise and a much-needed counterpoint to smooth winter dishes like braises, soups, and stews. As farmers, we eat a lot of carrots straight from the field. Besides that, shredded like this is our favorite way to go.

Ingredients

1 pound of carrots

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves

Process

Grate the carrots into a bowl and then salt them right away. The salt helps them to relax and makes the finished salad juicier. Toast the pumpkin seeds, cumin seeds, and golden raisins on a heavy pan over a low flame until the cumin smells fragrant and the raisins puff up a little. Chop the cilantro and toss it with the shredded carrots, toasted raisins and seeds, and oil and lemon juice.

For the best flavor, refrigerate a couple hours before serving.