Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Lemon-Mint Yogurt
About this Recipe
By: Rachel
Many languages have very, very specific words for particular feelings or experiences. For example, in German, Kummerspeck is the word for “weight you gain during a particularly stressful time.” (It translates literally to “grief bacon.”)
Seigneur-terraces is the French word for those folks who buy a black coffee for two dollars and then spend the entire day working at a coffee shop, taking up an entire table and never buying another thing. And then there’s the Finnish word hyppytyynytyydytys, which describes the pleasure derived from sitting on something bouncy.
There should be (and probably is, in some language) a word to describe the queer feeling that you get when you find out that your childhood experiences, which you thought were totally normal and typical of everyone, were actually just the quirks of your own family.
I grew up eating a lot of Middle Eastern food, while most of my peers in primarily-Scandinavian Minnesota, it turns out, did not. This resulted in a lot of wrinkled noses and surprised faces: “You can’t put CINNAMON on GROUND BEEF!” (Actually, you can. And it’s delicious.)
I was sorry that my classmates didn’t have the chance to experience these tastes. Tart, floral sumac in crunchy fattoush salads, cakes flavored with aromatic rosewater and, yes, cinnamon-flavored meats made mealtime fun and interesting, and those flavors make me think of home.
This dish relies heavily on Middle Eastern flavors like cumin, sumac, lemon, and mint; the dressing derives sweetness from your choice of two of my favorite ingredients: musky-sweet pomegranate molasses, or the dark-honey scented silan (date syrup–a great vegan alternative to honey). Find either or both at your local Middle Eastern market.
The combination of cumin-scented, caramelized carrots, bright, lemony yogurt, and tart-sweet dressing, punctuated by the crunch of roasted pistachios and freshness of green herbs, is a winner every time. Serve it alongside roast lamb or beef—with or without the cinnamon.
Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Lemon-Mint Yogurt
Ingredients
Roasted Carrots
- 2 pounds (a little less than 1 kilo) fresh rainbow carrots, cut in half lengthwise if small and in quarters if large
- ¼ cup (60mL) olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted in a dry pan
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Several sprigs fresh thyme
Yogurt base
- 1 ½ cups (340g) full-fat Greek yogurt (I only use Fage)
- 1 medium clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 leaves fresh mint, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
Vinaigrette
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses or silan (date syrup)
- 1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground sumac
- ¼ cup (60mL) olive oil
Garnish
- ⅓ cup (40g) chopped pistachios, toasted briefly in a dry skillet
- 1 large handful (27g) chopped herbs of your choice (parsley, cilantro, mint, chives)
- Maldon finishing salt
Step by Step Instructions
For the carrots:
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).Line a sheet pan with foil. Add carrots, and drizzle olive oil over. Sprinkle with cumin seeds, kosher salt, and thyme springs, and toss to combine.
- Roast for 30-35 minutes, turning once, until caramelized and tender (they should still have a little bite to them).Set aside to cool.
For the yogurt and vinaigrette:
- In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the yogurt base, and set aside.In a separate bowl, combine the lemon, pomegranate molasses or silan, salt, and sumac. Drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify, and set aside.
To serve:
- Spread the yogurt over a medium platter (it should be spread thickly across the platter) and top with the carrots and thyme.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the carrots, and garnish with pistachios, fresh herbs, Maldon salt, and a little more olive oil.
Beverage Pairing
By: Olivia
Between the carrots and molasses’ sweetness, the yogurt’s sharpness, and the herbs’ herbaceousness, you can pair this dish with Vouvray or Barbera, depending on if you want white or red. Vouvray is made from Chenin Blanc grapes grown in the Loire Valley of France. With high acidity and lemon and honey notes, a glass of Vouvray will complement the bright and sweet qualities of the meal. To highlight the pomegranate and herbs present in the dish, grab a Barbera d’Alba or Barbera d’Asti.
