Grilled Cheese with Roasted Carrots & Carrot Green Pesto

So I really hate throwing away food. My mom was pretty efficient in the kitchen; frugality was needed as well.  Maybe that’s where I got it from.  Where ever it came from, it is part of who I am and how I think and what I cook in the kitchen.

I couldn’t stand composting all those gorgeous carrot greens that come with carrots from my local market, so I did some research.  They are indeed edible, contrary to popular notion, but bitter.  I have tried a few recipes to use my carrot greens, saving them from the bacteria and insect consumption in the compost.  I really loved this one since it used the whole kit-n-caboodle in one recipe.  Have carrots with tops?  Here’s one way to use them from happyolks.com.

Grilled Cheese with Roasted Carrots & Carrot Green Pesto

Peel and slice in half

one bunch carrots, tops removed and reserved

 Toss carrots lightly coated with

olive oil

salt

pepper

Roast carrots at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender and browned.  Meanwhile in the bowl of your food processor pulse until chopped finely

washed and dried carrot tops from one bunch, stems removed 

juice of one lemon

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to improve texture as needed

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Assemble each sandwich using 

2 slices sourdough bread (I used my gluten free sourdough bread.)

2 slices Havarti cheese or cheese of choice

Roasted Carrots

Carrot Greens Pesto

Butter the exterior faces of the bread slices and pan fry on medium heat until the cheese is melted and sandwich is golden brown, about 5 minutes per side.

I ended up with lots of extra pesto.  I have been adding it to all sorts of things lately including a fabulous breakfast stack of cauliflower flatbread, eggs with kohlrabi greens, and tomato slices.  The carrot greens pesto added just the right amount of zip and garlic!

It is pretty amazing with the cauliflower dip I whipped up last week as well.  I’m sure I can come up with other uses too.