Recipes for Almost Nobody: Carrot-Greens Chimichurri and Pesto

I have a confession. I don’t really like salads. The leafy kind, anyway. They’re wonderful every so often, especially when there’s a good balance of texture and flavor and a worthwhile dressing, but I’ve never been the kind of person that can enjoy a salad with every meal. I love greens, and I certainly love vegetables, but there’s just something about looking at a big bowl of leaves that leaves me feeling overwhelmed.

With that being the case, it’s no help when someone suggests a salad as a way to use beet, radish, turnip, or carrot greens. If you’re a salad person, that’s a no brainer. But if you have more greens than you can possibly eat in that fashion, you can’t just make more salads. And as noble a cause as it may be, you’re not going to get more Americans to start paying more attention to these ignored greens by telling them to eat more salads.

This week, my focus was on carrot greens. I had previously made a lemon vinaigrette with carrot greens for a raw beet and carrot salad, which came out delicious and encouraged me to try more. However, that vinaigrette was only good for using a couple tablespoons of greens. Carrots have been a regular player in my CSA basket, so I’ve really been racking my brain and the internet for non-salad way to use them. Making pesto seemed like a cop-out, but then I had the idea to add some to a chimichurri. I really like my parsley in chimichurri though, so I merely accented it with the carrot greens, which left the rest free to go ahead and try a pesto.

Carrot greens can be a little tough and bitter, so before using them in either sauce, I blanched them. This worked better than I expected, softening both their flavor and texture just enough to maintain their distinctive grassy notes, but not making them blend into unpalatable mush. Another nice bonus I’ve noticed is that carrot greens don’t oxidize the way basil does, and I’ve had no problem keeping my pesto a gorgeous green!

On a side note, I realize a recipe like this won’t have the most reach. It’s really a shame that carrots don’t generally come with their greens attached, unless you buy from a farmers market or are fortunate enough to be a CSA member. This is done to prolong the carrots’ freshness, as the greens will continue to draw moisture from the carrots as long as they’re attached. Still, there’s a massive source of nutrition that’s just…going where? Compost, hopefully? Even beets and radishes frequently keep their greens. Carrots could really be a poster child for everything that’s wrong with the American relationship to food.

For the chimichurri, I included most of the main stem of the greens, which can be quite tough, because I wanted the added crunch in the texture of the sauce. I removed the main stalks for the pesto though, so that it would have a finer, smoother texture. You can do as you please, but if you really want to go no-waste, the stems that don’t make it into the pesto can be saved for adding to stocks.

Note: To blanch greens, add the carrot tops to a pot of boiling water. Boil briefly, 30-60 seconds, just until the greens brighten and barely soften. (They may look a bit more wilted than they really are). Drain and rinse well under cold water, or better yet, shock in an ice bath. Dry well in a spinner or laid out on paper towels.

Carrot-Green Chimichurri

1 bunch parsley

approx. 1/3 cup carrot greens with stems, blanched

4 garlic cloves

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ C red wine vinegar

up to ½ C olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Add the first 5 ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. I like my chimichurri a little oily, but you may prefer less. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 2 hours or so (in the fridge is fine) before using. Let come to room temperature a little before using as the oil may solidify somewhat in a very cold fridge.

Carrot-Green and Walnut Pesto

Carrot greens from 1 large bunch of carrots, blanched, and main stems removed (approx 2 cups greens)

½ C walnuts, toasted

4 garlic cloves

½ – ¾ C olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Add the greens, walnuts, and garlic to a food processor and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Honestly I didn’t measure after 1/3 cup and just poured straight from the bottle, but you can adjust the oil amount according to your liking or whatever the pesto needs to get to the right consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cucumber Melon Ice Pops

I have a love-hate relationship with popsicle molds. The bundt pans of the freezer, they make such pretty ice pops, especially if you’re a food photographer. But then there’s the fact that they require a flat, open space in the freezer, and the tendency for the plastic sticks (if that’s the kind you’re dealing with) to pile up in the sink because nobody likes washing that kind of shit. Plus you’re kind of stuck with the same popsicles and a sticky mold until you finish all of them. One day when I have a big house and a large chest freezer in the garage next to my fermentation lab, I’ll make gorgeous popsicles for special occasions. Maybe. But for now, I’m going to enjoy my ice pop baggies, and try not to feel too bad about using more plastic.

Not so long ago, these baggies were impossible to find online, save for small quantities of over-priced zip-lock versions. Another blogger was fortunate enough to have family bring her a supply from the Philippines, and I was tempted to see if I could talk her into hooking me up. Fast forward a few years, and there’s more than one to choose from on Amazon. The ones I bought make ½ cup look like a generous serving, and still leave plenty of room to tie off the end.

My most recent CSA basket included a large cucumber, and it seemed a shame to do nothing more interesting with it than cucumber water or sliced onto salads. I enjoyed cucumber and lemon “spa water” ice pops while I was pregnant and couldn’t have sugar, and have been wanting to try more frozen cucumber treats ever since.

For these I chose honeydew melon, first because it’s one of my favorites, but also because I didn’t want to muddle the soft green color. Feel free to use any popsicle mold you might have in lieu of the baggies.

Cucumber Melon Ice Pops

• 1 small-medium cucumber (I used ½ of a large one)
• ½ small honeydew melon, peeled and roughly chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 2/4-1 cup simple syrup
• pinch of salt

Peel and roughly chop the cucumber and add to a blender with the melon. Add the lime juice, salt, and enough simple syrup for the cucumber mixture to blend (or to taste). My batch needed about ¾ cup. Taste and adjust as needed. You should have about 4 cups of puree.

If using the baggies, insert a small funnel into the open end and pour ½ cup puree into the baggie. Tie off and repeat. Don’t forget to leave a little room for expansion. Otherwise, freeze in your desired ice-pop form.

Wilted Turnip Greens with Shortcut 5-Second Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette

Turnip greens are as delicious as they are good for you, says the hippie that’s green enough to know turnip tops are edible. Except it’s true. When cooked briefly, their flavor is reminiscent of bok choy, and pairs nicely with an easy Asian vinaigrette. The stems can be a bit chewy so you may prefer to cut the greens into pieces, but I like the look of the long, cooked stems.

Greens from 1 bunch of turnips (I used Japanese turnip greens)

Dab of butter

1 recipe Shortcut 5-Second Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette (follows)

Remove the lower stems from the greens, using only the leaves, and discard or reserve for another use. Chop the greens into smaller pieces, if desired.

Over medium-high heat, melt a dab of butter. Add the greens, and cook for 1-2 minutes, using a pair of tongs to turns the greens as they cook. Remove to a bowl or serving vessel and toss with vinaigrette.

Now, I wanted this post to be about turnip greens, but let’s not kid ourselves. That’s hardly a recipe. And if you’re from the South, you’re far better at cooking turnip greens than I. But we’re going to pretend this was about turnip greens, because the point is that even if this isn’t the best recipe, it’s the easiest. There’s no reason to let something so nutritious go to waste.

I debated whether I should even share this vinaigrette recipe, not because it’s super secret or special, but because it uses a ginger-garlic seasoning I found at Costco. That’s it. That’s my terrible secret. I’m a mom, not a chef, damn it. Sometimes my freezer lacks grated fresh ginger. Sometimes my husband isn’t home and I’m juggling a baby and I just want some damn Asian vinaigrette. Sometimes I take shortcuts, ok? David Chang buys the buns for his pork buns, you know.

Shortcut 5-Second Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs soy sauce

1 Tbs Simply Asia Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning

1-2 tsp simple syrup, to taste

3 Tbs avocado or grapeseed oil

Combine everything except oil, then whisk while slowly drizzling in oil.

This may not be a 5-second recipe for you if you don’t freeze fresh lemon juice by the tablespoon whenever you zest a lemon, or keep simple syrup around for your coffee (among other things). But you do now, right?