Ingredients

Method

• 500 g small to medium-sized carrots
• 1 cup water
• 2 large oranges, juiced and half zested
• 2 T vegetable oil
• ½ t caraway seeds
• spekboom leaves, to garnish
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the pesto:
• 1 cup carrot tops
• a dash olive oil
• a dash water
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• a small bunch foraged peppercress (or wild rocket)

Method

Ingredients

1. Cut the greens off the carrots 5 cm from the root. Don’t throw away the greens.

2. Slice the carrots lengthways if they’re fat so each piece has part of the green on it and is the same size.

3. Heat the water in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the carrots. Cover and cook for a maximum of 5 minutes.

4. Add the orange juice and zest and the oil. Cook for 10 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots (they shouldn’t be too soft). Cook until the orange juice has almost completely reduced, then add the caraway seeds. Stir gently. When the carrots are al dente, remove from the heat and season to taste.

5. To make the pesto, blend the carrot tops, oil and water. Add a little peppercress or wild rocket but keep a bit aside to garnish. Drizzle over the carrots and garnish with spekboom.

Cook’s note: Choose spekboom that’s not wilted, it’s crunchy and sweeter, more citrussy in flavour.

Find more winter veg recipes here.

Photographs: Jan Ras And Toby Murphy
Production: Bianca Strydom
Food assistant: Nadia Meyer