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Don’t throw away the tops the next time you buy a bunch of carrots from the farmers market. The carrot tops have a wonderful herbaceous flavor that exemplifies the transition to springtime. If you haven’t tried using them yet, this walnut and carrot top pesto helps you maximize the value of your farmers market purchases while adding extra flavor to your cooking.
I used to go to the farmers market every week to get carrot tops for my pet rabbit, Inky. Carrot tops were one of his favorite things to munch on, and there was a farmer at the Sunnyvale Farmers Market that would give me the tops for free when I stopped by; he’d cut them off when customers bought the carrot bunches because they didn’t want them. Their loss was my gain: Inky loved them, and it turns out carrot tops are pretty versatile for people food too.
Get the Most Out of Your Farmers Market Purchases
I don’t like wasting money, so I definitely don’t like throwing out things that could actually be useful. Carrot tops are a perfect example of this; they’re totally edible, and can be used like any other herb, but most people just throw them out.
Oftentimes I hear an objection from people who don’t buy produce at the farmers market: “I’d love to, but it’s too expensive.” Well, it doesn’t have to be. You automatically get more for your money when you use more of the things you’re buying already. Couple that with a generally higher quality product, and I would venture to say that farmers market produce is a much better deal than the average grocery store.
Or, you could feed the carrot tops to your pet rabbit. That would work too. But I promise this is more tasty for the humans out there.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Carrot Tops
Carrot tops have the texture of curly parsley, which is more crunchy and fibrous than Italian flat leaf parsley. They have a distinctly herbaceous smell with carrot undertones. Look for carrot tops that are a deep green color (no yellowing, browning, or sliminess). If you buy carrots with their tops on, remove the tops and store separately in the refrigerator, as the tops will age faster than the carrots themselves.
Carrots, by the way, are a part of the same botanical family as parsley, celery, and cilantro. The tops can be used just like any other herb, though I recommend chopping them very finely due to their rather tough texture.
Walnuts
Walnuts are the key to adding body to this pesto, and help emulsify the olive oil when it is drizzled into the pesto.
Store your walnuts in the freezer to maximize their shelf life. Walnuts are full of oils that can go rancid quickly if just stored in the pantry. And don’t worry, they can go straight from the freezer into the food processor for this recipe.
Feel free to substitute with pine nuts (a pesto standard), or even pistachios. The key to substitution here will be to keep the weights roughly equivalent, so measure by weight rather than volume.
Oranges
I chose to use fresh squeezed navel orange juice in this pesto. Oranges pair exceptionally well with carrots, and carrot tops don’t require much acid to balance the flavor.
In order to pick the most flavorful oranges, look for brightly colored zest. The orange should also have a floral scent at the stem end, and feel heavy for its size. You’ll only need half an orange for this recipe.
Parmesan
Parmesan is the king of cheese. Aged parmesan is crumbly, nutty, salty, and full of umami. When combined with the walnuts, the parmesan balances out the herbaceous carrot tops.
You may find a cheesemonger or local cheese maker at your farmers market. I was lucky enough to live by farmers markets visited by Achadinha Cheese Company, located out in Petaluma, CA, and one of their specialty cheeses, Cowpricious, would be absolutely amazing in this pesto. Other more widely available cheeses to try out here are Pecorino Romano (which has a very sharp bite) and Grana Padano (which is mellow and buttery).
Tips and Tricks
This pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The best way to store it is inside a regular-mouth mason jar and topped with a layer of olive oil. The extra olive oil on top will prevent the pesto from turning brown due to oxidation (the oil prevents air exposure).
My preferred method, however, is to store the pesto in the freezer. It can be frozen into an ice cube tray and then the cubes can be used when needed. Alternatively, it can be spread into a freezer bag, and then small amounts of carrot top pesto can be broken off when ready to use. Carrot top pesto will store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Serving Suggestions
Carrot top pesto can be used anywhere basil pesto is used. I’m demonstrating it on a simple rigatoni pasta dish, but really, the sky is the limit. Try spreading carrot top pesto on salmon, or stuffing it inside chicken breast. Stir it into some hummus or spread it on a nice crusty baguette. Add a dollop into a brothy soup to add extra herbal flavor.
Or just eat it by the spoonful. Not gonna lie, I’ve done that too.
Walnut and Carrot Top Pesto
If you haven't tried using them yet, this walnut and carrot top pesto helps you maximize the value of your farmers market purchases while adding extra flavor to your cooking.
Ingredients
Pesto
- Tops from 2 bunches of carrots, approximately 2 cups roughly chopped
- ½ cup walnut halves
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
To serve
- 8oz rigatoni pasta, boiled and drained
- 2 tbsp carrot top pesto
- Freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
Pesto
- Add carrot tops, walnuts, parmesan, orange juice, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper flakes to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Turn the food processor on, and while it is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a paste forms.
Serving Suggestion
- Stir carrot top pesto into cooked pasta immediately after the pasta is drained. The heat from the pasta will warm the pesto sauce.
- Top plates with freshly grated parmesan
