I don't like food waste and do my best to use everything that I have. This means turning leftovers into other dishes, repurposing beet greens into stir fries, using vegetable parings for soup stock, etc. Carrot greens are so pretty that it seemed a pity to only use them as stock fodder so I did some internet research as to how they could be cooked. Most of the recipes left me cold, except for the chimichurri one linked below.
The spices that the author used made sense because she was serving the sauce with roasted carrots and the cumin and paprika would bring out their earthiness. I wanted something fresher and more spring like so I adapted the spice palate to meet my needs. I serve this with carrot gnocchi and it is very good but it also works wonders on a plain piece of poached or broiled fish. L. finds it perfectly acceptable to use it as a dip for hunks of sourdough bread.
Makes about 1 cup.
Carrot tops from one bunch of organic carrots
2 Tbsps chopped mint
1/4 tsp fennel seed, whizzed into powder in a coffee grinder
1/4 tsp Espelette pepper or red chili flakes
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Wash and dry the carrot tops well. Chop finely.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Check for seasoning as salt is a very subjective taste as is vinegar! The photo above shows the ingredients before mixing as I thought it looked pretty; the final result is a much more cohesive sauce with no excess vinegar and oil oozing out the bottom.
Can be made a few hours ahead but no more than that since part of the pleasure of this chimichurri is its beautiful, vibrant green.
Inspiration recipe, here.
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