- ½ cup delicious almonds
- 1 tablespoon ghee (use olive oil if you'd rather)
- Heaping 2 cups carrot tops, washed well and chopped
- Juice from a lemon or two
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and fresh pepper
Carrot Top Pesto
Makes approximately 1½ cups
This pesto bucks tradition in every way. It’s free of cheese and pine nuts, with nary a basil leaf in sight. And yet: It’s still pesto, and it’s undeniably delicious. The best part? Carrot tops don’t cost a thing (simply ask a farmer at your market and they’ll oblige) and sustainable (they ordinarily get chucked).
The serving possibilities are endless — just add more or less olive oil, depending on what result you’re going for. Thinner, more drizzly versions are great for tossing with zucchini noodles; thicker iterations can serve as a dip or tartine spread.
Note: The quality of your nuts really matters here. Get the best you can find — you want them to shine!
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Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the almonds with 1 tablespoon of ghee or olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt and roast until they smell amazing (about 12 minutes). Set aside to cool thoroughly.
When almonds have cooled, add them to a food processor with the carrot tops, juice of one lemon and garlic. Whizz, scraping down the sides as necessary, until well incorporated. With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until you reach your desired consistency (keep in mind it’ll thicken a bit as it cools). Season with salt and pepper, whizz again and taste. We usually add the juice of a second lemon at this point.
