It's finally thawing in most of Canada, and we're starting to see a burst of fresh and local spring vegetables, but that's no reason to neglect trust staples like carrots. These roasted baby carrots with carrot top pesto from chef Brian Malarkey of San Diego's Herb and Wood are just what you need on your table to go with everything from roasted meats to spring greens.
To make carrot top pesto, remove the greens from the carrots. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Blanch carrot tops for about 1 minute and quickly transfer to a bowl of ice water, then drain. In a blender, place blanched carrot tops, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of water, and turn on to blend. Drizzle in half the olive oil until blended and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the shallots and reserve until plating.
Cut the carrots in half and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium pan over high heat, cook carrots until they start to brown and caramelize. Place pan with carrots in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes until they are tender and remove from the oven.
To plate the carrots, put the Aleppo yogurt on the plate and place the carrots over the yogurt, top with the carrot top pesto and enjoy.
Aleppo yogurt
In a bowl, whisk together ½ tbsp. lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, and salt to taste. Reserve until ready to use.
- Yield:
- 2 servings
