CARROT-TOP PESTO Carrot greens (also called leaves and fronds) look a lot like parsley and taste a bit like it, too. Many herbs and greens can create a variety of pestos: arugula, parsley, basil, spinach, mint, kale, Swiss chard. With different combinations of nuts, cheeses, and oils, the possibilities are endless.
Prep: 15 minutes | Servings: 4 1 large bunch of carrot-top 1/3 cup walnuts greens, stems, and leaves 2 green onions, greens only 1 clove garlic 2+ tablespoons olive oil half a lemon, juiced 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves In a medium pot, boil 5 or so cups of water. Roughly chop carrot-top greens and toss them in the boiling water for about 60 seconds, then immediately strain and rinse with cold water. (This mellows their slight bitterness.) Place all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and beginning to form a paste, adding enough olive oil to loosen the pesto and make it scoopable. Serve hot or cold with raw or cooked vegetables, on crackers, atop carrot soup, or in pasta like a traditional pesto. Per serving: 146 calories, 13.5 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 60 milligrams sodium, 5 grams total carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams protein.
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OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2022