Any student who has attended one of Chef Carol Cotner Thompson’s classes revels at the ease of her recipes. Carol’s a Southern California native whose simple, clean recipes and cool teaching style inspire us to get back into the kitchen. This stunning recipe gives you two cooking options and the pesto is one of our favorites. You’ll find some delicious inspiration and info on her culinary trips on Carol’s website here.
Ingredients
2bunchesRainbow carrotswith the stems on
2TbspZa'atarsee note below
1/3cupOlive oil
1/2tspSalt
Pesto (makes about 1/2 cup)
3/4cupToasted pistachios
1cupBasil leaves
2TbspFreshly grated parmesan cheese
1cloveGarlicpeeled and smashed
1/3cupOlive oil
1/4tspSalt
Instructions
Wash, peel and cut the carrots lengthwise, leaving a bit of the stem on. Toss into a large bowl with the za'atar*, olive oil and salt.
Grill (on medium-low) OR roast (on sheet pan) carrots at 325 for 30 minutes. Cool and arrange on platter. Spoon pesto on top to serve. Garnish with fresh mint, dill, basil, or thyme.
To make the pesto: In a blender or food processor, pulse all the ingredients together to form a chunky sauce. The pesto can be made twenty four hours in advance.