Honey Ginger Carrots & Carrot Top Chimichurri

11 Nov Honey Ginger Carrots & Carrot Top Chimichurri

Nothing beats fresh carrots straight from the farm.  The recipes this week use the whole carrot- the delicious orange root vegetables themselves, as well as the beautiful greens that so often get tossed in the compost pile.  When you get a bunch of carrots in your share, remove the greens and store them separately in order to preserve their freshness.  Enjoy these honey ginger carrots and carrot top chimichurri alongside your favorite protein for a complete meal.

Honey Ginger Carrots

 Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, about 8-10
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

• Preheat grill or oven, depending on how you are cooking the carrots. Temperature should be around 350-375°F.
• Clean carrots. You can peel them if you want, but it isn’t necessary, especially with such farm fresh, tender young carrots.
• Combine honey, oil, and ginger in small bowl. Mix well.
• Brush marinade on carrots.

• If grilling, place carrots on grill rack in single layer. Cook for 15-30 minutes or until carrots are fork tender.  The cook time will vary depending on the size of the carrots.  Smaller carrots will cook faster and the larger carrots will take more time.  Rotate carrots halfway through grill time.
• If roasting, place carrots on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20-30 minutes, rotating halfway through cook time.

Carrot Top Chimichurri

Ingredients:
1 bunch carrot tops, cleaned with main stem removed (should be about 1 cup packed)
½ jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon, or 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Zest from ½ lemon, or ½ tsp lemon zest

• Carrot tops require a little more work to clean. Soak them in water, rinse really well, and dry.  I used a salad spinner to remove most of the water from the clean carrot tops.
• Remove the delicate leaves from the main stems. Discard the tough stem and use the delicate leaves for this recipe.
• Place carrot top leaves, jalapeno pepper, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper in food processor. Pulse to combine and break down all ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix vinegar, oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• Turn food processor on low, slowly drizzle in the liquid mixture. Scrape down the sides and process one more time.
• Refrigerate for a few days or freeze for future use.

*This chimichurri is wonderful spooned over beef, chicken, pork, fish, seafood, or roasted veggies.

Recipe and photos by Stephanie Borzio.  Stephanie is a mom of three active boys and is an autoimmune warrior.  After battling her own health for several years, Stephanie found healing through food and lifestyle changes, including joining Blooming Glen Farm CSA of which she is a long time member.  She is a Board Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach who is passionate about sharing healthy living tips and real food recipes.  Instagram and Facebook: Tru You Essentials; Website: www.truyouessentials.com