Food doesn't have to be complicated to be great, and food makers don't have to follow rules to kill the game. That's the philosophy behind the new Botanica restaurant, market and magazine launching early in the new year. Heather Sperling and Emily Fiffer, are proving with their new Silverlake digs that when it comes to healthy eating, color, flavor and good feels can still take priority - and if their recipes prove anything, it's that they've got that formula right.
Below, they're sharing four carrot recipes that'll fancy up this humble veggie, including a pesto that recycles those carrot tops you may not have considered before...
Moroccan Carrot Salad: Hands down, this is one of the best dinner party dishes in our arsenal. It comes together in a snap and can be easily adapted if you don’t have everything on hand. As Stefon would say, this salad has everything: color, crunch and chew; tart, sweet and saline. It’s light enough to serve as an appetizer and stands on its own as a main. Baharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend that takes a variety of forms depending on its origins. Most of the time it includes a combination of black pepper, coriander, cumin and a mishmash of warming spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice). If you have a full spice drawer, it’s worth making yourself a batch. In a pinch? We’ve got suggestions for substitutions below.
Roasted Carrots with Hazelnuts and Chermoula: The thing about carrots is that the possibilities are endless when it comes to creative combinations. This dead-simple recipe comes together quickly and is excellent for entertaining (you can easily scale it up or down). Bonus points for being pretty as can be on a plate. Chermoula is an herbacious green sauce with African roots (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria) and a weird and wild flavor profile. It adds spice, brightness and depth to roasted veg, fish and meat, and does especially wonderful things to carrots, whose sweetness is only enhanced by chermoula’s complexity. This dish is flexible and bends to your needs: Serve it as is to kick off your meal, or nestle the carrots in a bed of hearty, lemony grains for a vegan main event.
Spiced Tomato, Coconut and Carrot Soup with Lemon-Cilantro OiL:There are few better feelings than opening your fridge after a long day, ravenous, only to remember, “Hell yes! I have soup!” This one in particular screams comfort. Part-Indian, part-Middle Eastern, 100% healthful, it comes together in just about 30 minutes. Best of all, it takes serious advantage of your pantry. Do like we do and make a giant vat for the week. We promise you won’t be sorry. Though it’s delicious on its own, the cilantro-lemon oil is what takes this soup over the top — we highly recommend it. Have leftover cilantro-lemon oil on hand? Don’t let it go to waste: Drizzle on roasted vegetables, fried eggs or fish; thin with olive oil and boom! It’s vinaigrette; stir through yogurt for a delicious dip; or toss with cooked grains for an added layer of flavor.
Carrot Top Pesto: This pesto bucks tradition in every way. It’s free of cheese and pine nuts, with nary a basil leaf in sight. And yet: It’s still pesto, and it’s undeniably delicious. The best part? Carrot tops don’t cost a thing (simply ask a farmer at your market and they’ll oblige) and are sustainable (they ordinarily get chucked). The serving possibilities are endless — just add more or less olive oil, depending on what result you’re going for. Thinner, more drizzly versions are great for tossing with zucchini noodles; thicker iterations can serve as a dip or tartine spread. Note: The quality of your nuts really matters here. Get the best you can find — you want them to shine! [olists num=1][olists num=2][olists num=3][olists num=4]
The post One Veggie, Four Ways: Carrot Top Pesto From Botanica appeared first on The Chalkboard.
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