This is a very pretty Autumn salad or vegetarian appetizer. It was surprisingly easy to make for a dish with such complex flavors. Since only L. and I were eating it, I laid it out as is in the photo so we could each pick and serve our own but, for dinner guests, i would probably go for a slightly less rustic look, peel and trim the carrots completely, half them, and serve them on a bed of bitter greens tossed in a lemony vinaigrette. Last but not least, you could probably make this with peanut butter instead of almond butter; I just don't particularly like it.
1 bunch of assorted carrots, trimmed and washed well but not peeled
coarse sea salt
2 tsps olive oil
1/4 cup almond butter
juice from 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Measure out the olive oil onto a baking sheet, roll the carrots around in it until they glisten and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake for about an hout and half, turning over half way through cooking. Check the carrots after an hour, since they will cook at different speeds, based on their size.
While they are cooking, mix the almond butter and the lemon juice together in a bowl. I used a whisk and got the mixture as smooth as I could. If you prefer a completely smooth dressing then feel free to add about a Tbsp of boiling water to the mix. You will have to adjust the lemon juice after to that so as to retain the original flavor. Drizzle the dressing over the carrots and serve; this tastes best warm. I considered sprinkling the finished dish with chopped Italian parsley to add a little color but resisted the urge; all the golds and oranges and browns looked pretty as is to me.
That's it. The inherent sweetness of the carrots was intensified by the roasting, the peel became caramelized and slightly chewy and the dressing added a gritty earthiness to the whole dish that struck just the right note for someone looking forward to autumn. I recommend this both for taste and investment of time...