Recipe for Week 3: Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Chimichurri Sauce

 

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Chimichurri Sauce

FRONDS TO ROOTS: ROASTED RAINBOW CARROTS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE *the chimichurri sauce was prepared in bulk to be used throughout the week. This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks or frozen*   **carrots will be parboiled before roasting. Parboiling softens root vegetables from the inside out, allowing the carrots to remain moist and plump during roasting process, which cooks from the outside in.   FOR CARROTS 1 bunch Carrots Halved (stems removed, set aside) 2 tbsp Salt (for water in parboiling step) 3 tbsp Olive Oil 2 tbsp Honey 1 tsp Zaatar (or more to taste) Salt and Pepper (to taste)   FOR CHIMICHURRI (bulk prep) 1 cup tightly packed Carrot fonds (leaves removed from stems) 1 cup tightly packed Parsley 1/3 cup tightly packed Oregano 1 Garlic scape  3 Garlic cloves 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar 1 tsp. Red Chili Flakes 1 tsp. Salt and Pepper (to taste) HONEY ROASTED CARROTS:  PREPARATION: Set oven to 425F. Oil sheet pan(s) until shiny and place in oven to warm. Remove stems from carrots and set fronds aside.  PARBOILING: Halve carrots and place in pot of heavily salted water. Let water and carrots come to a boil and reduce to a simmer, letting carrots bathe for 5 minutes; until just barely tender or al dente. SEASONING: Strain carrots. In a bowl, on plastic cutting, or plate, coat both sides of carrots in olive oil and honey. Lay flat and season both sides with zaatar seasoning (or cumin), salt, and pepper. ROASTING: Remove baking sheets and place carrots halved side down far apart. Space between pieces allows for the carrot to roast instead of steam. Roast for 15 minutes (begin chimichurri). Flip carrots skin side down and roast for an additional 10 minutes. ENJOY: Plate carrots halved-side down and drizzle chimichurri on top. Plate with sour cream if available! CHIMICHURRI SAUCE: Every culture has an herb sauce! Argentina and Uruguay are known for chimichurri, a sour-spicy herb sauce used alongside grilled meats, vegetables, and eggs. Carrot fonds and parsley can be interchanged for this recipe. I used 1 ½ c carrot fronds and ½ c parsley   PREPARTION: Remove carrot fond leaves from stems and wash, using a salad spinner or paper towel to dry.  Remove parsley leaves from stems “      “. Remove oregano leaves from stems “         “. Wash Garlic scape. Peel garlic cloves. CHOP: Finely chop all herbs and garlic (I do this separately, but it’s not a must). COMBINE: Mix all herbs together in a large bowl. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with red chili flakes salt and pepper as you combine. Oil and vinegar should lightly cover the herb mixture. Sauce should taste spicy, herbaceous, and sour! Helpful tips: Use your own judgement when seasoning and glazing! Salt is a culinary catalyst that allows flavor to emerge and balance!    About Sophia Thanks for cooking along! I am an UWS lover of food, artist, and educator! I have a deep love for food science and leaving no trace, which I hope reflects in my recipes :).    As always, please visit our blog for recipes over the past dozen years, and send us your recipes if you find something that you really love and that utilizes our current distribution.   Instagram Facebook Website Click here if you have a recipe to share! NEED HELP USING UP YOUR HERBS? Try making a simple syrup! Simple syrups can brighten and sweeten lemonade, iced tea, iced coffee, or cocktails! Mix equal parts water (1 cup) and sugar (1 cup)  (measured separately). Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add 1/3 cup herbs of your choice and steep for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Strain herbs and refrigerate! Herb tip: "Clap" herbs between your hands in order to release their oils, also known as "expressing" the herb. Herbs that benefit from expressing include mint, sage, rosemary, and lavender.

 

 

Potato Gnocchi with Carrot Top & Basil Pesto by Joelle F. Floyd & Kurt Flehinger Looking for a tasty way to use up your WHOLE carrots plus some potatoes, too? Try making Potato Gnocchi with Carrot Top & Basil Pesto!  Ingredients For the gnocchi: 2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 egg yolk For the pesto: 1 cup carrot tops 2 cups fresh basil 1/3 cup walnuts or pine nuts 1 clove garlic 1/4 cup parmesan cheese Olive oil Step 1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until fork-tender, about one hour. Remove from oven and halve potatoes to cool. As soon as they are cool to the touch, scoop the meat of the potatoes into a potato ricer. Rice the potatoes onto a paper towel or other thin surface to cool completely.  Step 2. Once cooled, place the mound of potatoes on a large surface and sprinkle flour over the top. Make a well in the potato-flour mixture and place the egg yolk in the center of the well. Using your hands, gently bring the flour, egg, and potato into a dough. (But be careful to not knead it like bread dough; that will make it tough.) Step 3. Divide the dough into six sections. Create a rope 1/2 inch in diameter and cut into 1/2 inch segments. Roll each piece against the tines of a fork to create ridges (this allows the sauce to better cling to the gnocchi). Repeat with each section.  Place the gnocchi in a single layer on a cookie sheet and allow to dry for at least one hour.  Step 4.  While the gnocchi is drying, add carrot tops, basil, garlic, and nuts to a blender or bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Mix in the parmesan cheese, processing for another 30 seconds. Drizzle in olive oil until pesto reaches desired consistency. (Don't worry if your pesto is too thick! You can add a bit of reserved pasta water, later.)  Scoop pesto into a medium-sized bowl. Step 5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook until it floats (about 4 minutes). Remove from water with a slotted spoon. Add the gnocchi to the bowl with the pesto. Gently mix and serve immediately.  Helpful tips: We used 3/4 of the recipe for our gnocchi, reserving the rest for future snacking on crackers, bread, etc. We also roasted the carrots with some olive oil and thyme for a tasty side dish.