Shonah celebrates the carrot

Culinary Professor at Humber College, Toronto, Canada

Chef Shonah Chalmers cooks roasted carrots with a carrot top chimichurri sauce

Shonah has always treated ingredients with the respect they deserve – by fully utilizing them and wasting as little as possible. She shares her knowledge and passion for local and seasonal ingredients with her students.

Roasted carrots with a carrot top chimichurri sauce roasted-carrots

"I like to cook root to stem, whenever possible, so that nothing is wasted. An ingredient like a carrot top can bring such joy and excitement to a plate when utilized properly," - Shonah Chalmers

portions

min cooking

ingredients

portions

min cooking

ingredients

What you need

1 cup finely chopped carrot greens (preferably organic) 1/4 bunch oregano 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley 1 pinch cumin 2 ml ground sweet paprika 1 Fresno chili or red jalapeño, chopped 1 shallot finely, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 pinch of salt A few grinds of black pepper 70 ml white wine vinegar 120 ml olive oil (a good fruity one) 3 bunches carrots (with tops) scrubbed, not peeled

Watch the video

Watch as Shonah takes you through the recipe and gives you insights into zero-waste cooking.

Step 1/3 Prepare your carrot tops

Trim your carrots tops 3cm from the top. Wash and dry your carrot tops well. Make sure to keep all the greens to use for the sauce so there is no waste.

Pro tip from the chef

Soil can be hidden among the carrot greens. Wash them well in cold water.

Step 2/3 Roasting the carrots

Scrub your carrots clean and cut into strips. Toss the carrots in oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in an oven at 210°C/ 415°F for 20 minutes (or until tender but not mushy).

Step 3/3 The chimichurri sauce

Mix the carrot tops with all of the herbs and spices, chili pepper and minced garlic in a food processor. Stir in the vinegar and olive oil and fold in the shallot at the very end. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Allow the sauce to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Let’s plate it

“Food plating” is what professional chefs refer to when arranging and decorating food to enhance its presentation. Why not "plate it" to add to your home dining experience?

Plating step 1

Use uniquely shaped plates for an exciting plating experience. Start plating with some of the chimichurri sauce either in a straight line, a circle or a splatter.

Plating step 2

Lay a suitable portion of carrots in fun patterns.

Plating step 3

To enhance the plating, consider adding garnish. How about adding color with microgreens, texture with carrot chips, carrot puree piped onto the plate or syrup glazing? Bon appétit!