How to Use Your Carrot Tops
I’ve stopped shopping at supermarkets. Partly in an attempt to support businesses locally, but mostly because I can’t pop in when I’m out for a walk with the puppy at any of the supermarket chains, while the smaller independent shops are always really welcoming.
The result of this has been the quality of our produce improving significantly – it’s just been more fresh and flavourful, with the added benefit of getting to know people and having a nice chat. (Milhouse, my puppy, likes all the treats he seems to get now as a result).
Last week I was making a vat of coleslaw and the carrots we got had these really vibrant and fresh carrot tops, which felt too good to waste. I blitzed them with some olive oil, garlic, parmesan, lemon juice and walnuts to make a carrot top pesto. It tastes a lot earthier than your standard basil, but it still has a really nice flavor (although the success of this will depend on the quality of the olive oil you use when you make it).
Funnily enough, I was speaking to my mom earlier who just got back to Honolulu, and the day before she and one of her best friends had actually made furikake using carrot tops. Furikake is a type of flavourful rice seasoning, that you sprinkle over a bowl of rice to give it a bit of depth. It was one of my favourite dishes as a child. My cousin Alice acquired a taste for it when she would come stay with us, and she often stocks some in her pantry to this day.
I’m definitely going to try it next time, adapting my furikake recipe from Omoiyari. I write more about ‘mottainai’, (avoiding waste) in the book, which is the chapter this furikake recipe is in. If you try it, let me know what you think!
Furikake (振りかけ)
30g katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes)
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 sheets nori (seaweed)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
Method
If you have used the katsuobushi to make stock, make sure these are properly strained. In a dry frying pan, cook the katsuobushi until the liquid has evaporated, and the katsuobushi has become dry and starts to flake. Place this on a tray.
In the same dry pan, lightly toast the sesame seeds over a low heat. Remove and place in a bowl to cool.
Once the sesame seeds have cooled, add them, along with the salt, sugar and nori, to the tray with the katsuobushi. Once everything has cooled, you can store this mixture in a jar, and sprinkle over rice, fish, popcorn – whatever takes your fancy.
