Carrot Tops

[Abra]

I bought some beautiful carrots from a little farm yesterday, and the women I went with were all talking about eating the greens. I'm in France, where odd vegetables don't seem to be a big thing, so I was surprised to hear them mentioning adding the greens to soups and salads.

Does anyone have a really good recipe? I don't mean just a way to keep from wasting the fluffy greens, but something that's truly delicious in its own right.

[rooftop1000]

Abra all I know about carrot greens is that you should cut them off so they dont suck moisture out of the carrots

Tracey

[Tri2Cook]

Gather some other greens to go with them and make Gumbo Z'Herbs... the tastiest bowl of algae you'll ever eat!

[emilyr]

Carrot tops, to me, have a taste somewhere between parsley and fennel fronds. I thought I saw Alton Brown make glazed carrots and top them with the greens, but I can't find the recipe. I think that would be a good use. Also, I like them in carrot slaw type salads. Outside of carrot dishes, they're good on salads and with chicken soups. I like the flavor with cream soups as well.

[andiesenji]

You might try this recipe/method

and there are some good follow-up ideas, including a pesto - doesn't that sound good.

Walnuts and carrots go together nicely so a pesto made with carrot tops and walnuts should be delicious.

Perhaps with dried-tomato and portobello ravioli.....

[helenjp]

I've used them various ways, but my favorite is to dress them with sesame seeds, Japanese style. Just like the walnuts andiesenji recommends, nutty flavors seem to really complement carrot greens.

Check the fronds, and pull off the outer ones if they look too tough or withered. Fresh green rather than really dark green is best.

Cook quickly in boiling, salted water, refresh in cold water, squeeze, and chop into matchstick lengths or even shorter.

Make "enough" sesame dressing: 2 parts soy sauce, 1 part sugar or mirin, 10 parts toasted sesame seeds.

Start with say a half-cup of sesame seeds for around 3 carrot tops.

Sesame seeds - traditional method: unhulled sesames shaken in a dry pan till they pop, then quickly tipped onto a cloth, and crushed with the back of a knife till about half the sesame seeds are crushed, then mixed with soy and mirin or sugar. Lazy m ethod: take ready-ground toasted sesame and add about half as much again of ready-toasted sesame seeds, add seasonings.

[Abra]

Thanks for all the great ideas, folks, and for the links.

I made a lovely little salad for lunch with grated carrots (the sort that are maroon outside and orange inside), walnuts, parsley, a bit of carrot tops, lemon juice, and argan oil. Now there's a really good combination, although I'm not sure the carrot tops added much more than the idea of them being there. I still have lots more more, and as I have leek tops and parsley too I'll try something with that mélange tonight or tomorrow.

Argan oil with carrots - try it!

Edited November 15, 2007 by annecros (log)

[Lilija]

I'm making a big heavy chicken noodle soup, today, for a sick friend. The stock is loaded with tons of sweet root vegetables. I got some excellent carrots, with a bounty of good looking greens still attached...

Can I toss the greens into my chicken stock, without it becoming bitter, or grey?

Talk to me about carrot greens. I was even pondering mincing them, and garnishing the finished bowl (which will be this awesome stock, strained, with slippery dumplings, carrots, celery, chicken, and parsley)..

They look so feathery and fresh, and smell so sweet, I hate to waste them. Whaddya think?

[jgm]

Not knowing anything specifically about carrot greens, I can only fly by the seat of my pants on this one.

I can't think of any other green I would add to chicken stock, so I don't believe I'd add carrot greens, either. If this soup is for a sick friend, I think you're better off sticking to what you know and delivering something you know will be good. Try using the greens in salads, or cooked the way you would other greens - perhaps with a little bacon, onion, and lemon juice? - in another dish.

You certainly could garnish the soup with them, of course.

Let us know what you learn!

[Lilija]

I decided the same thing. I never add greens to stock itself, but I am going to mince a few up and throw it in the finished product, along with a handful of parsley.

The rest, I was going to give the "broccoli rabbe" treatment. Sauteed with olive oil, garlic, and tossed with tortellini and maybe some cheese, as a light lunch tomorrow.

Till now, I never really thought about eating them, but then, I've never gotten carrots with such a lovely bunch. Normally, the greens are wilted, damaged, or just green straggly stumps.

[heidih]

I agree about not adding them to the stock itself. I also got some beautiful fragrant ones attached to carrots at the farmer's market recently. I used them along with free beet greens from the same market to make a green soup. Sauteed green garlic, added beet greens and some chicken broth (homemade), simmered till tender, added masses of chopped carrot tops just until well wilted, whizzed with immersion blender, and finished with just a touch of cream. I felt ready for anything after a bowl of that springtime tonic.

I would hesitate with the broccoli raab treatment because they get stringy when cooked. The feathery leaves collapse right away and the stem remains firm resulting in the kind of annoying texture that leads to a session with the dental floss.

Please report back since I expect to have frequent access to this free green.

[petite tête de chou]

Lots of good ideas here- Carrot Tops

[Lilija]

That's a great link, wow. Who knew?

So far, I found myself snacking on them raw, because I love the bitter astringency of greens, but this one has carrotyness in it! I love making discoveries like this. (Personal discoveries, as it were...because I know that many of you are going "But we've been eating carrot greens since we were kids.")

So far, v. gautam has sent me a recipe that has my head positively spinning, for Gumbo Des Herbes, which I've printed out, and am now using as a shopping list for next time I go to the farm market.