Here in France, we are truly lucky to have access to an abundance of incredible, fresh produce through farmer’s markets and various CSA (community supported agriculture) networks. The revival of heritage varieties makes the choices even more enticing, with multi-colored offerings of tomatoes, aubergines, swiss chard…..even the humble carrot takes on regal status. Today’s Nourish takes those beautiful and vibrant rainbow carrots, slowly roasts them in a not-too-hot oven along with some baby spring onions (scallions). The cumin and sheep’s milk yogurt sauce helps boost the sweet and earthy flavors with a lactic tang, but a tahini-lemon sauce is equally as welcome as a dairy-free version.

Roasted Carrots and Spring Onions
with Yogurt Cumin Sauce

Makes 4-6 servings | Equipment : an electric spice mill; a large roasting pan or 2 rimmed baking sheets

Ingredients

12 medium carrots of various varieties, peeled (see note), halved or quartered lengthwise, plus green tops for garnish
12 whole baby spring onions or scallions, including greens, outer layer removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Garlic-Yogurt Sauce
4 tablespoons sheep’s milk yogurt
1 plump, fresh garlic clove, halved, green germ removed if present, finely minced.
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt


Tahini-Sauce
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 teaspoons freshly squeeze lemon or lime juice
1/4teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon sumac (optional)

Method

1. Center a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

2. In a bowl, toss the carrots and scallions in the olive oil. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the roasting pan. Season lightly with salt. Place the carrots in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, turning the carrots over from time to time, until they are soft and golden, and the tip of a knife can be easily inserted.

3. While the vegetables are roasting, making the sauce. For the yogurt sauce: combine the yogurt, garlic, and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Thin the mixture into a dressing with 3 to 4 tablespoons of water. Refrigerate until serving time. Thin with more water at serving time if needed. For the tahini sauce: Combine the tahini, lemon, salt and sumac (if using) in a small bowl and stir until well blended. Thin the mixture into a dressing with 2 tablespoons of water. If too thick, add water teaspoon by teaspoon until desired consistency is reached. Taste for seasoning.

4. In a small saucepan, toast the cumin over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a dish to cool, then grind to a fine powder in the spice mill.

5. Arrange the vegetables on a serving platter and scatter with the carrot tops. Serve with the garlic-yogurt or tahini dressing and sprinkle with the toasted cumin.

NOTE: Carrots are nutritionally robust, but a lot of their goodness can be found in or just under the skin, so if using organic carrots or ones that have been minimally sprayed, scrub them clean with a vegetable brush instead of peeling with a vegetable peeler. Also means there’s less waste!

This recipe, first published in My Master Recipes, has been updated for Nourish the Planet, a collaborative series by Patricia Wells and Emily Buchanan. © 2020 – All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without permission.

Find our more here about why we created this series.