Recipe for Carrot Top Pesto

Growing carrots from seeds is lots of fun, but thinning them out really isn’t. I usually don’t thin my carrot seedlings very early. Instead, I wait for the green tops to grow a bit, so that when I do thin the seedlings, I get 3” - 4” baby carrots.

I recently thinned out my carrot patch in the garden and used every bit of the carrot to make this zero-waste recipe. If the carrots are forked out and unattractive, I insist that you use them, because when roasted and presented well, they look incredibly gourmet!

Snip off the greens from your carrots and set aside. Drizzle the carrots with olive oil and roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 15 to 20 mins, until crispy and golden. Use the carrot tops/ greens to make delicious pesto (recipe below)! I promise, you won’t miss basil one bit!

Ingredients:
Greens from 12-15 baby carrots (or carrot thinnings)
2 cloves Garlic
1/3 cup Pistachios (preferably unsalted)
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
1/3rd cup Olive Oil (add more if you prefer)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

Whizz everything in a food processor! Delicious pesto is ready in minutes!

To present, smear some pesto on a plate with a spoon and place the crispy carrots on top!

Enjoy!