Glazed carrots + carrot top salsa
Another fab way to use leftover jam: brush on roasted carrots and serve them with a chimichurri inspired salsa. Use what you have, always.
I find carrots somewhat under-appreciated and overlooked- and I’m often guilty of that too. Though I almost always have them on hand, they’re usually tucked away at the bottom of the vegetable drawer, an afterthought, to be diced finally and added to soups or stews, munched on by my snack-loving daughter or dipped absentmindedly into a dip of sorts (there’s always a dip of sorts around here- stay tuned). See, I usually rely on their mild flavour and lovely crunchiness, when there’s so much more to love: as most things, they’re completely transformed by a little heat and some TLC. Enter a roasting tin and some leftover jam.
Things couldn’t be simpler: half or quarter them, toss well will olive oil, a big pinch of salt and some black pepper and roast until almost tender. Then brush them liberally with some leftover jam (or leftover honey!), back in the oven until sticky and enjoy!
I used small carrots here, with their tops attached- I find them more flavourful and I love leaving a little bit of the top attached when roasting. It becomes crunchy- the perfect contrast to the soft, glazed carrots. And then the greens: also overlooked, often tossed away, when they can be used the same way as herbs. Though they don’t taste like much raw, combined with olive oil, some vinegar and spices, they make for a delicious loosey-goosey salsa of sorts.
Roasted carrots with jam glaze and carrot top salsa
Serves 4 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Roasted Carrots:
500g baby carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons jam (I used quince, but marmalade, fig or apricot would also work)
For the salsa:
50g carrot tops (about 1 cup, tightly packed)
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp tried oregano
1 tsp salt
125ml extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Wash the carrots, cut the green tops off (leaving about 2cm on, so they crisp up when roasting). Pat the carrots dry with kitchen paper and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 25–30 minutes, or until just tender.
2.While the carrots are in the oven, make the salsa and glaze: wash the carrot tops thoroughly and pat dry. Put them in a food processor, along with the everything else and blend until the mixture is smooth and pourable. Taste, adjust salt if needed and set aside. For the glaze: put the quince jam in a small pot and warm over low heat until it becomes liquid and slightly syrupy (about 2-3 minutes). Set aside.
3. Once the carrots are roasted, remove them from the oven and brush with the warm quince jam, ensuring they’re well coated and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
4.Arrange the glazed carrots on a serving platter and drizzle with the salsa. I topped them with some homemade dukkah for some additional crunch.
Tips:
*You won’t be needing all of the salsa for the carrots- merely half of it- but if you’re taking a food processor out, you may as well make more. Keep in a small jar and refrigerate for up to a week.
*You can also use carrots without their tops on, following the same prep and roasting tips, and serve them without the salsa. Or, if you still want to make the salsa, use the same amount of parsley or coriander (or both).
*The carrots make for an excellent main, alongside cooked or tinned beans (which you can also toss with the salsa), or they can be served as a side dish to fish, chicken or meat.
More
Life’s been very hectic lately (I thought January was hard- boy was I wrong…), so my meals are often an aftermath, or something I whip up on the spot, merely to fill up my tummy.
There’s been a lot of rice (I love basmati; 1 cup of rice, very well rinsed, added to a pot of 1 1/2 cups of boiling water, simmered with the lid on on very low heat for about 15’. Remove from the heat, put a tea towel under the lid and allow it to steam for another 5 or 10’. Perfect!), served with tinned fish (sardines or tuna in olive oil) or beans (or both), something fresh (my daughter’s leftover peas or broccoli, halved radishes or kale massaged with lots of olive oil) and something from a jar: chilli crisp is my go-to at the moment, today’s salsa (or a variation) has also been on rotation a lot, even harissa or samba tossed with some yogurt. And I almost always add some dukkah (or just toasted, roughly chopped nuts) or crispy fried onions on top. Nothing fancy, but it works.
Current fave: chickpeas! I’ve been cooking big batches and freezing them in portions, so there will be lots of chickpea love in the near future (Think: crispy, stewed, in salads and in desserts).
I’d love to know: what are you eating when life gets in the way? And what are your current favourites?