Economy Fridge Clearout | Don’t Underestimate Carrot Tops!

Once a month, our collaborator known for her culinary blog Vert Couleur Persil offers you a delicious recipe to make with what you have in your fridge!

Three ingredients
Carrot tops, potatoes, red onion

To save money on your grocery cart while reducing food waste, it’s essential to learn how to make the most of each food, and carrot tops are a great example. Underrated but rich in flavor, they offer a host of possibilities. Discover them in this pesto, perfect for adding freshness to your dishes, like a potato salad.

Potato salad with carrot top pesto

Preparation: 12 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Potato salad

• 680 g (1 1/2 lb) baby potatoes, cut in half
• 1 large pinch of salt
• 2 cups (500 ml) of rocket
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) marinated red onions (see recipe below)
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) crumbled feta cheese

Pesto

• The tops of 5 carrots (see tips), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) fresh mint
• 1 clove of garlic
• 5 tbsp. (75 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp (20 ml) lemon juice
• 4 tsp (20 ml) of honey
• 1 tbsp. (15 ml) raw, shelled sunflower seeds
• 3/4 tsp (3.75 ml) of salt
• Pepper from the mill, to taste

Pickled onions

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water
• 3 tbsp. (45 ml) maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) of salt
• 1 tsp (5 ml) black peppercorns
• 1 tsp (5 ml) mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) celery seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 red onion, minced (about 2 cups)

Preparation

Pickled onions (prepare at least 24 hours in advance)

• 1. In a small bowl, add vinegar, water, maple syrup and salt. Using a small whisk, mix well until salt is completely dissolved. Set aside.
• 2. In a medium-sized airtight glass jar, add black peppercorns, mustard seeds, celery seeds and bay leaf. Add onion, press lightly and pour liquid into small bowl. Close jar and shake gently.
• 3. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.

Note: Keeps for about 1 week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Potato and pesto salad

• 4. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, add salt and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain.
• 5. While the potatoes are cooking, start preparing the pesto. In a small blender, mix all the pesto ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
• 6. In a large bowl, place the potatoes. Pour the pesto and coat well. Add the arugula and mix gently. Pour into a large serving plate, garnish with marinated red onions and feta. Serve and enjoy immediately.

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Geneviève’s money-saving tips

Carrot tops offer a fresh, slightly bitter taste that pairs perfectly with various preparations. In addition to pesto, consider incorporating them into soups, salads, stir-fries, omelettes or frittatas. You can also dehydrate them and grind them into powder to use them as you would a spice, for example, or add them to a homemade broth. In short, there are a multitude of possibilities available to you to make the most of them!

Be careful, not all vegetable tops are edible like carrot tops. Some can be toxic! I strongly recommend that you educate yourself on the subject before consuming them. Choose organic vegetables when cooking edible tops.