Carrot Top Pesto (Seriously Tasty)

I still love Basil Pesto but carrot tops will never be composted in my house again. Basil is hard to grow in Dunedin and costs a mint to buy. Carrot tops come FREE with your carrots and taste just as good as Basil. With our  zero waste policy we do have a problem scraping together enough kitchen scraps for the chickens and quails. ( They do have a few hours of free range a day, when I can guard my veg patch, so they are doing well). Rocket works equally well to replace either basil or carrot tops.

1      Bunch of carrot tops, washed. You can separate the leaves from the stems, but I processed the entire bunch

2       Large  garlic cloves

1/4    Cup grated parmigiano cheese

3/4    Cup of good Extra Virgin olive oil

3       Tablespoons of nuts (pine nuts, cashews, macadamia,  sunflower seeds all work well)

Salt and pepper to taste. (I do not use salt in pesto because the cheese is salty enough for me).

Put everything except the cheese in the food processor or blender and process. Do not make it into slush – keep a fine texture. You may need more olive oil to complete the job. Mix in the cheese and pulse a few more times.

Serve on fresh or toasted bread, dab on to meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes, use as dip for carrots and other fresh veg, salad dressing, and of course as a pasta sauce. 

You will notice that I did not give exact quantities, as these would depend on what you want to achieve – more garlic, basil, cheese, etc.