Carrot tops

[lia]

I just bought several bunches of carrots for juicing at a market that had them "natural" as opposed to trimmed and bagged. The tops got snipped off and tossed, but I'm wondering if I should have saved them and used them for anything else.

[EdS]

Carrot tops?

Several years ago I drove my then-girlfriend from the SF Bay Area to Reno just to see Carrot Top do his act at the Silver Legacy casino. I laughed. The girlfriend didn't. She left me not long thereafter. So, I'd say Carrot Tops are not a good idea. When I saw those AT&T commercials that came out later, I came to my senses.

Now, regarding carrot tops, carrots are actually part of the parsley family. I've heard of people saving and using the carrot tops just like parsley although I've never seen a recipe that used them.

[Macarons&Mozart]

Carrot tops came up in the Food Section of the LA times a few months ago. They were described as having a very herbaceous/vegetal flavor. They also included a recipe for celery-root salad with carrot-top vinaigrette. Here is the URL to the recipe. I have not tried it, although it does look rather interesting.

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo...-headlines-food

-Robert Kim

[Jensen]

I saw that same article and ate some organic carrot tops twice in the week following.

First, trennette tossed with fava beans, asparagus lengths, leeks, young garlic, seasoned with chopped carrot tops, and topped with shaved asiago cheese.

Second was pesto made with carrot tops instead of basil. It was also very good.

[k43]

I, too, feel guilty about throwing away carrot tops, but I've tried with no success to prepare even good organic ones several times. Nothing I've been able to do gets out the bitterness and mouth-puckering tannins.

They would make a nice garnish, but even the LA Times recipe uses only tiny flecks. Anything more would bring out that horrible taste.

Edited July 25, 2005 by k43 (log)

[annachan]

My bunnies love carrot tops! If you know someone who owns bunnies, offer him/her the carrot tops as treats for those cottontails.