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RECIPE
carrot top pesto
I’ve never bought carrots without the greens since I discovered how to make this (you have to blanch the greens first or the pesto is too grassy). Be sure you separate the greens as soon as you get them home as they pull moisture out of the carrots. Save the carrot stems for stock.
Makes about 1⁄2 cup
INGREDIENTS
Greens from 1 medium bunch of carrots 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
Squirt of fresh lemon juice Salt
DIRECTIONS
1. Pull the feathery leaves off the stems. You should have about 2 loosely packed cups of leaves. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and drop in the carrot leaves. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes to blanch, and then drain. The greens will reduce to about 1/2 cup.
2. Transfer the greens to a food processer or blender and add the oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Blend to a puree. Refrigerate the pesto for up to a week (it does ferment) or freeze.
RECIPE
flank steak with carrot top pesto
This is a simple, fabulous dinner: I just have to buy steak, DIRECTIONS
carrots with the greens, and some fresh thyme. The other stuff I usually have on hand. I like to marinate the steak in the morning or the night before, but if you only get in 1 hour
of marinating, that’s fine, too. You can substitute skirt steak for the flank steak if you’d like. This is great accompanied by Braised Carrots (above).
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
11⁄2 pounds flank steak
3 tablespoons olive oil
Small bunch of fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Juice from 1⁄2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons) Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons safflower oil
Carrot Top Pesto (above)
1. Pound the steak with a mallet to tenderize.
2. Place the steak, olive oil, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, and
salt and pepper to taste in a sturdy plastic food storage bag
and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight. 3. About 1 hour before you are ready to start cooking, take the bag out of the fridge and let the meat come to room
temperature.
4. In a grill pan or heavy skillet, heat the safflower oil over
high heat. Remove the steak from the bag. Don’t worry if there is garlic or thyme stuck to it. Place in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, searing both sides, for medium-rare.
5. Remove the meat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the meat against the grain and on an angle, and serve with the carrot pesto. You can serve this dish at room temperature or warm, both are good.
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