Carrot top pesto

Try this bright and fresh Carrot Top Pesto for all your spread and dipping needs.

While carrots are available all year round, they are best enjoyed fresh from the garden mid summer through fall. Carrot tops are usually discarded , but they are totally edible and have a faint taste of carrot while also having some bitter notes and a slight natural saltiness, similar to parsley!

Carrot tops are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. Use them in place of parsley in recipes. Combined with sprouted nuts and seeds, this bright and fresh Carrot Top Pesto is a great pairing for hOMe Grown Living Food’s Keto U Bake Crackers.

Ingredients

2 cups carrot tops and stems, chopped from about 8 carrots
1/3 cup sprouted nuts & or seeds. Try a combination of sprouted walnuts and hemp seeds.
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Juice and zest from 1 or 2 lemons
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Mindful preparation

Carefully wash carrot tops to remove any dirt. Pick out and discard any dry, yellowed or unappetizing looking leaves. Dry in a salad spinner. Remove the very bottom of the stem, but use most of the stalk and all the leaves. Blend all ingredients in the bowl of your food processor until smooth. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula. This sauce will keep for up to 1 week refrigerated.