February Tavern Tastings Gets to the Root of the History of Carrots in Colonial America

Long, long before children spent Saturday mornings watching Bugs Bunny dismantle Elmer Fudd’s garden in search of his favorite treat, Americans have enjoyed carrots. For February’s edition of Tavern Tastings, a virtual lecture series from Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center and Fraunces Tavern Museum, carrots take center stage.

Carrots were a part of American colonists’ diets and showed up in dishes such as carrot jam and carrot pudding, a precursor to today’s carrot cake. In fact, carrot cake is part of Fraunces Tavern Museum’s history: Samuel Fraunces served carrot cake at his tavern in lower Manhattan, and versions of that recipe exist today. It’s likely that George Washington – a fan of Fraunces’s food – enjoyed the carrot cake.

This Tavern Tastings program will take place Tuesday, February 2, at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom. Leading the conversation will be Mary Tsaltas-Ottomanelli, education and public programs coordinator at Fraunces Tavern Museum, and Catherine Prescott, chief curator at KTM&HC. This program is free, with a suggested $5 donation per viewer. Registered participants will get the Zoom link for the program on the afternoon of February 2.

To register for the February Tavern Tastings program, click here.

To catch up with previous editions of Tavern Tastings, visit the KTM&HC YouTube page.

About Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center

Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center (KTM&HC) tells 300 years of the town’s—and nation’s—history through the lives of its past residents. The 4-acre historic site features four architecturally significant buildings, including the historic Keeler Tavern which dates to 1713 and the Cass Gilbert-designed Garden House built in 1915. The site is currently open for outdoor visits, including pre-registered, guided outdoor themed walking tours (see website for dates and times and to register online). In addition, visitors can enjoy a self-guided walking tour, “Gilberts in the Gardens” (scan the QR code on any one of the outdoor signposts for a map of the campus and the walking tour stops) and see the famous British cannonball from the 1777 Battle of Ridgefield still lodged in the corner post of the historic Keeler Tavern. The Carriage Barn is open for designated, limited-capacity exhibitions and events. The Tavern Museum is temporarily closed due to the pandemic. Additional information, including updates about on-site and online programming and events, as well as rental of the Cass Gilbert-designed Garden House and Walled Garden, can be found at keelertavernmuseum.org, @KeelerTavernMuseum on Facebook and Instagram, @KeelerTavern on Twitter, or by emailing info@keelertavernmuseum.org. For inquiries about school programs, digital learning experiences, and virtual field trips, please email education@keelertavernmuseum.org.

 

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Submitted by Ridgefield, CT

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