This dish was made for autumn entertaining, and even if your “guests” are just your most immediate family, these flavors will create endless smiles and joy. We utilized squash leaves for display, eggplant flowers, chive flowers and sweet little dots of crimson yarrow. The carrot top pesto is divine with its earthy and rich flavors.
Ingredients
- Tops from 1 large or 2 smaller bunches of carrots
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- Juice of 1 large lemon (or 2 small)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves (The herbs are very interchangeable. You can use basil, parsley, cilantro… whatever you have on hand.)
- 4 green onions, fresh green parts only
- ½ cup raw walnuts (You can also use pine nuts or almonds.)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bread of choice. (I love using a sourdough olive loaf from Roan Mills; a baguette would work beautifully for smaller bites; or gluten-free magic from Vegan Mario or Bread SRSLY. Slice your pieces to desired thickness.)
- 3 cups mushrooms (I love using cremini or shiitake or a mixture of both.)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- About 1 tablespoon olive oil for the pan
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup cashew ricotta featured in the Squash Blossom Quiche
- Salt, pepper, herbes de Provence to taste
Preparation
For Pesto:
To blanch the carrot tops, remove thick stem pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water in it. Once boiling, add the carrot tops to the pot. Stir occasionally, cooking for only about 3 minutes, or until bright green and tender. Immediately remove from the pot, drain the hot water, and add the carrot tops to the ice cube bowl to stop the cooking process.
Drain the carrot tops, wring out excess liquid and spread them on a plate to dry while you do remaining recipe prep.
Add all of the ingredients from garlic through walnuts to a food processor. Blend until a chunky paste forms with small bits of carrot tops. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to stop frequently to scrape down the sides. Add the olive oil a tablespoon at a time until combined. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.
For Mushrooms:
Heat a medium-sized cast-iron pan with some olive oil on medium heat. Add minced garlic and allow to become just fragrant, then add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir. Once they sweat most of their moisture out, add balsamic to deglaze the pan and create sticky sweetness. Toss in herbs and stir to coat.
Making the Bruschetta:
Gently toast your bread in a cast-iron pan, or in toaster. Once golden and toasted, spread pesto on to desired thickness. Add ricotta, and then mushrooms and herbs. Top with edible flowers of choice. Enjoy!
