Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 5: Carrot Top Pesto

  

Recipe of the Week:  Carrot Top Pesto

Carrot Top Pesto  by Nandita Venkatesan This creamy pesto dressing is a great way to use carrot tops! It tastes delicious on top of pasta with cherry tomatoes or can be used a substitute for green goddess dressing on top of roasted root veggies of your choice. I prefer the dressing a little runny - so feel free to use a little less water if you'd like it thicker. Ingredients 6 large cups of carrot tops ( large carrots tops from 8-10 large carrots) 2 large cups basil leaves 1/3 cup olive oil 4 tblsp lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 oz mascarpone cheese handful of cashews 3 tblsp water salt, black pepper, red chili flakes to taste Step 1.  Wash the carrot tops and basil thoroughly. You can definitely use the stems, however I used the stems of the carrot tops here and not the stems of the basil. Step 2. In a food processor, add a third of the carrot tops, a third of the basil, 1.5 cloves mince garlic, cashews, 2 table spoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water. Blend until completely mixed.  Step 3. Keep adding the remainder of the carrot tops and basil in thirds alongside the lemon juice and water to ensure that the mixture is blended thoroughly. Step 4. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes to taste. I use about 1-2 tsp of chili flakes. Helpful tip: If you add olive oil at the beginning when you make pesto - your pesto can taste quite bitter. Add a little water at the beginning instead and add your olive oil towards the end - it avoids the bitter taste and makes your pesto a bit richer. Step 5. Add the mascarpone cheese and pulse until blended. Pour into a mason jar to store in the fridge for use in pastas or salads.   About Nandita       A recent transplant to the UWS, Nandita enjoys getting involved in her neighborhood and getting outdoors. While she mostly makes Indian food, she loves making simplified versions of dishes that are easy to prepare on weekdays and incorporate local ingredients. Her go-tos are fun and tasty vegetable and lentil stews. Favorite dishes include rhubarb rice, aloo saag, cabbage kootu (a rich and thick cabbage, peas, and carrot stew).

Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 4: Beets and Kohlrabi with Their Greens

 

Recipe of the Week:  Beets and Kohlrabi with Their Greens   Beets and Kohlrabi with Their Greens by Miriam Meir We received such beautiful bunches of kohlrabi and red beets this week, this recipe essentially made itself. I used the wonderfully fresh coriander seeds and black pepper from Sourcery.  Ingredients 1 bunch kohlrabi with greens 1 bunch red beets with greens 4-5 garlic cloves 1 tbsp coriander seeds  3 tablespoons olive oil  juice of 1 lemon kosher salt  fresh ground pepper Step 1.  Cut the kohlrabi and beet bulbs off their greens. Remove the hard bottom of the kohlrabi. Wash the bulbs.  Step 2. Cook the kohlrabi in water for 30 minutes. Cook the beets in a separate pot in water for 1 hour or until soft.   Step 3. Meanwhile, wash the greens and cut them into crosswise strips.  Step 4. Warm olive oil in large pan. Crush garlic cloves with the palm of your hand and peel. When the oil shimmers, add garlic cloves and coriander seeds. Saute for 1-2 minutes constantly mixing with wooden spoon; careful not to let the garlic or seeds get burned. Remove garlic and coriander from the pan and reserve.  Step 5. Add the greens to the oil, add 1 tsp salt and saute for 3-4 minutes, mixing constantly. Turn off heat and let cool.  Step 6. Peel off the skin of the kohlrabi and beet bulbs. Cut into 1/2" pieces. Combine with greens.  Step 7. Crush reserved garlic and coriander into a paste with mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Add lemon juice and a tablespoon of olive oil, mix well to combine and pour over the vegetables. Mix and grind fresh black pepper on top.  This was a joy with the sirloin steak from the meat share and fries made of the red potatoes!  Tip: On Monday I make space in the fridge for the new CSA share - all leftover veggies go into soup! Lightly saute onions and celery in olive oil, add cut veggies, salt, some ground cumin and turmeric, a cup of lentils, and fill with water. Cook for an hour and serve with labneh spooned on top!  About Miriam Miriam is a mom, lecturer, and part-time grad student. Her family's kitchen is broadly Mediterranean, and inspired by their heritage: Belgian, Israeli, Moroccan and Syrian.