Carrot-top pesto

…with corriander, pistachio & extra virgin olive oil

We're always thinking about what we can do to minimise waste at home and I knew Kathy was working with the team in the store to minimise waste too.  So when I snapped up a gorgeous bunch of carrots with their vibrant tops still on, it made me think…

…surely these wonderful looking things don't belong on the compost heap?!  

And having recently enjoyed an enlightening olive oil tasking event at The Hopsack, fresh in the knowledge that a good quality 'extra virgin' is packed with anti-oxidants, I thought about what we could combine these two ingredients to make – and what else we could add to make something especially delicious and nutritious.

And believe me – carrot tops are an overlooked delight, worthy of just as much love as their other halves!

  • ​Takes 10 mins to prepare
  • ​Makes enough to fill a medium sized jam jar
  • You'll need a food processor

Ingredients

  • Handful of pistachios
  • 1 bunch carrot tops (washed, picked over and roughly chopped)
  • ​1 bunch each corriander & parsely (stalks and all, roughly chopped)
  • 2 tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 fat clove garlic (finely grated)
  • 1 lemon (zest only, finely grated)
  • 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground peppercorns (we used organic green – so delicious!) 
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (we used Olvia)

Method

1. Place the pistachios in a food processor with a few glugs of oil.
2. Blend for 2-3 minutes (scraping the sides once or twice), until you get an oily paste.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil, and pulse until you have a coarse mixture.
4. Now with the motor running, gradually add between 1/4 – 1/2 cup oil – til you like the consistency.

And, hey pesto!
You're done.
Pop it in a serlised jar, cover in a slick of oil.
It'll keep in the fridge for a week or so.
If you can leave it be for that long!

Goes well with plain pasta, dolloped on salads.
Wherever you'd use a pesto or a salsa verde really.

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