Roasted Harissa Carrots With Carrot-Top Pesto and Avocado

Name: Roasted Harissa Carrots With Carrot-Top Pesto and Avocado
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients: 2 bunches carrots with tops; ¼ cup walnuts, toasted; 1 clove garlic; ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste; Zest and juice of 1 lemon; ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup rose harissa; 1 avocado, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces, and seasoned with salt; 10 New Mexico or Anaheim chile peppers; 4 guajillo chile peppers; 5 sun-dried tomato halves in oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp caraway seeds; 3 cloves garlic; 2 tsp rose petals (or ½ tsp Damask rose petal powder); ½ tsp smoked paprika; Zest and juice of 1 lemon; ¾ cup olive oil; Salt

Image of Roasted Harissa Carrots With Carrot-Top Pesto and Avocado — Photo by Scott Suchman

Servings

6-8 servings of carrots + 1 pint harissa

Prep Time

90 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

"Carrot tops are delicious, nutritious, beautiful, and deserve a lot better than getting plunked into your garbage can. Did you know that they have six times more vitamin C than the orange root? Perhaps Bugs Bunny should turn his around while he munches! Here, I use them to make a brightly colored green pesto. Double down with avocado, which is an excellent source of healthy fat. The whole thing gets drizzled over carrots roasted in a rich and spicy rose harissa. The result is as satisfying to the eye as the belly."

From The Power Five: Essential Foods for Optimum Health © 2023 by Michael Crupain, MD, MPH. Excerpted by permission of National Geographic Partners LLC, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide. Photography by Scott Suchman. All rights reserved.

Author:

Michael Crupain, MD, MPH

Ingredients

Roasted Harissa Carrots With Carrot-Top Pesto and Avocado:

2 bunches carrots with tops
¼ cup walnuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup rose harissa
1 avocado, peeled, cut into ½-inch pieces, and seasoned with salt

Rose Harissa:

10 New Mexico or Anaheim chile peppers
4 guajillo chile peppers
5 sun-dried tomato halves in oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp rose petals (or ½ tsp Damask rose petal powder)
½ tsp smoked paprika
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup olive oil
Salt

Directions

Roasted Harissa Carrots With Carrot-Top Pesto and Avocado:

Pick the fine leaves off the carrot stems to equal 1½ cups. Wash and dry well.
Pulse the walnuts, garlic, and salt in the bowl of a food processor until combined. Add the carrot tops, and pulse to combine. Add the lemon zest and juice, and pulse again. Gradually pour the olive oil through the food chute, and pulse to combine. Season with salt to taste. Transfer the pesto to an airtight container.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cut the tops off the carrots, and clean the carrots (you can peel them or leave the peel on). Toss the carrots with the harissa in a large bowl until evenly coated, then transfer the carrots to the prepared sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the carrots are softened.
Place the carrots on a platter. Season with salt to taste. Top with the avocado, and drizzle with the pesto.

Rose Harissa:

Cut the tips off the chiles, and shake out any seeds. Place the chiles in a 4-quart pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, and add the tomatoes to the pot. Let sit for at least 1 hour. Make sure the chiles are fully submerged by placing a piece of parchment on top followed by a small plate or bowl to weigh them down.
Meanwhile, toast the cumin, coriander seeds, and caraway seeds in a skillet over medium heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from the heat, and let cool. Then grind in a spice or coffee grinder into a powder.
When the chiles are fully rehydrated, drain, reserving the chiles, tomatoes, and ¼ cup chile water. Remove the stems and any remaining seeds from the chiles—be sure to wear rubber gloves while you work.
Process the garlic, rose petals, paprika, toasted spices, and reserved tomatoes in a food processor until the garlic and tomatoes are minced. Add the lemon zest and juice, and pulse to combine. Add the chiles, and process until a mostly smooth paste is formed. If it’s too dry, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved chile water. Gradually add the olive oil through the food chute, processing into a thick paste. Season with salt to taste.
Transfer to an airtight container, and let stand to allow flavors to combine. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.