Ingredients
Dressing ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 cloves garlic, mince
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoons cold water (adjust for desired consistency)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons honey
Author of this recipe
Many different countries and cultures have phrases, habitually said before starting a meal. Bon Appetit, Sahtein, buen provecho…my favourite is the Japanese – Itadakimasu. As a literal translation, it means something like “I humbly receive”, but it’s also a broader expression of gratitude.
Itadakimasu is a way of giving respect and appreciation - to the cook who prepared the meal, the farmer who grew the produce, the animal itself, the wheat, rice, mushrooms, vegetables and soil that nurtured them. It’s an acknowledgement of all the resources that have gone into your meal.
This respect is something I try to bring to my cooking, and one way to do that is by using as much of a vegetable as I can. ‘Nose-to-tail’ is an entrenched culinary trend in meat preparation, but I think it should extend further.
There is so much food waste, especially when it comes to vegetables. Zesting and juicing lemons, using carrot tops, eating stems and leaves from cauliflower, making stock from scraps and offcuts – there are so many ways respect the resources that contribute to our meals.
Preparation
Carrot top pesto:
- Cut the fronds from the roots, leaving a 2cm green top on the carrot.
- Wash and spin the fronds dry, then strip the leaves from the tough stems.
- Place the fronds in a food processor together with the roasted almonds, garlic and Parmesan, and blitz for a few seconds. Add the lemon juice and zest, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto reaches a paste-like consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Tahini dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, honey and extra-virgin olive oil.
- Gradually add water, one tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the dressing is like a thick pouring cream.
Steamed carrots:
- Peel the carrots.
- Bring a shallow pot of water to the boil, and quickly cook the carrots for 2 minutes until just tender. Remove from the water.
- Melt butter in a flying pan, then add honey and orange juice. Bring to a simmer, then toss the carrots in the glaze until fully coated and shiny.
- To serve, place the carrots onto a flat plate and generously spoon on the pesto. Top with cracked pepper, tahini dressing and toasted almonds.
Tips from the author
- With this dish, once you’ve blended your carrot top pesto, you can store any leftovers in a jar – topped with olive oil. The carrot peels can go into your stock pot.
- The orange juice/honey/carrot combo borrows from traditional Austrian recipes – So Guten Appetit, but also - Itadakimasu!
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