Pennies from Heaven

When we lived in Corvallis Oregon back in the late 80's early 90's there was a gentleman in our church that was a retired Naval man who had been a chef in the Navy.  He also lost an ear in the war, which I always wondered, how did a chef get wounded in battle?  But anyways he made incredible cakes, I am drooling just thinking of his culinary confection, oh to have a bite of one would be heaven.
But the recipe I have in my collection is his copper penny recipe made with carrots.  It was the one recipe of his I could actually duplicate, the cakes not so much.
Here is a variation of his pennies recipe.

  1 cup xagave syrup
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup flax oil
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1/8 t. ground ginger
2 lbs. carrot, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 cup water
3 T. freshly chopped parsley
  In a saucepan, combine the xagave syrup, vinegar, oil, dry mustard, ginger, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and continue to cook the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the mixture to a glass bowl or large measuring cup, and set aside. Rinse the saucepan. Then in the same saucepan, place the carrots and water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Drain any remaining water from the carrots and transfer the cooked carrots to a glass bowl. Pour the syrup-vinegar mixture over the carrots, add the chopped parsley, and toss gently to combine. Allow the flavors to blend for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chill overnight for added flavor.
Serves 6