Carrot Tops

First of all, you can stop buying baby carrots in the bag. Go ahead and grab some big beautiful babies with the long green tops attached. You can cut them thumbsize if you like, but I like to keep them full size and roast them whole. Here I added some olive oil and coriander, which has a soft, subtle flavor that complements the earthy sweetness of the carrots. Roast at 400 F for about 20 minutes, or until they're tender. I like to make a quick dressing of fresh orange juice and a dollop of honey to toss on the carrots. And then, DUH, I garish them with a fistful of chopped up carrot tops. They're astringent and herbal, like a woodsy parsley. Like anything green from the earth, they're nutrient dense and good for you.

Extra carrot tops can be thrown in a blender with oil, some nuts and garlic for a pesto that would be nice on pasta, but also delicious stirred into an Indian curry or a soup. A version with cashew nuts would be amazing on curried lentils with coconut milk.