Fresh Carrot Top Pesto and Carrot Chutney

When I think of carrots, I think of all the different ways I like to enjoy them.    I love to pull them out of the veggie patch, wash them under the nearest tap and enjoy the crunch as you bite into them fresh.  Without fail, I stop to savour the sweet smell of the freshly pulled carrots – nothing quite like it.  Or I just grate them and put them in a salad or on a sandwich.  Occasionally I juice them, sometimes freeze them but more often than not I just chuck them into the fridge for later on.  A very versatile veggie is the humble carrot. 

A couple of weeks back I was introduced to another way of eating carrots.  I was told that Carrot Top Pesto was a great fresh dish.   Ok I thought, not what I would normally associate with carrots but I thought I would give it a go.  The big difference is that you don’t eat the ‘normal’ orange bit, you eat the green tops.   So I got hold of the recipe and although I was skeptical I gave it a go.  To my surprise what was created was a beautiful pesto that was fresh and tasty.  It has a great texture and was nice on its own or added to a summer salad.  My wife also enjoyed it and once it was made we ate it over a couple of days. 

The recipe came from Marian who operates ‘Live It Well Transformations’ said I could share it.  So here it is.

• 1-2 cups of fresh carrot tops, stems removed.
• 1 handful of unprocessed nuts – your choice. I used cashews but almonds would be great too.
• Juice of a lemon.
• 1-2 cloves of garlic.

Place all ingredients into a blender and whizz it.  Eat in 1-2 days.  

A couple of weeks ago I needed the garden bed where I had the carrots growing for another crop, so I had to pull them all out of the ground and since then have been taking up too much space in the fridge crisper.   They keep getting in the way so this week I decided to have a crack at making carrot chutney.  I looked up a recipe online found one that looked easy and attacked it with gusto.  I had a lot of carrots so I made a triple batch.  It was quick and easy because I did all of the chopping and grating in the trusty Thermomix.  I was delighted at the result.  It tastes great on crackers as a dip or it will be an enjoyable accompaniment to my next salad I take to work.

So there is a couple of new ways to enjoy carrots. Give them a go.