Charred Carrots With Winter Citrus + Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

This recipe elevates the roasted carrot into serious party fare.  Or just make it for you and yours to enjoy anytime since carrots are always in season.  The unusual twist is the addition of grapefruit, which you can “supreme” if you like (fancy word for getting the bitter pith and fibrous membranes and annoying pits out of your way, more on that below).  Once you hone this skill you’ll whip it out and add citrus to green salads and fruit salads. Grapefruit haters can sub oranges in this recipe. BUT you might like the grapefruit once you experience it without the bitter parts...

[SERVES 4]

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 2 small bunches of carrots (scrubbed with tops removed)

• A pinch of cumin

• A tablespoon of olive oil

• A big pinch of salt

• A big pinch of pepper

• 1/2 grapefruit (with segments removed)

• 2 ounces of goat cheese

• Chives (finely chopped and also totally optional)

Dressing:

• ¼ cup of olive oil

• 1 orange (juiced)

• ½ juiced grapefruit

• 1 juiced lemon

• 1 tablespoon herbs ( I picked thyme, chives and parsley)

• 1 shallot (chopped)

• A big pinch of salt

• A big pinch of pepper

LET’S COOK:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Line a sheet pan with parchment or tin foil

3. Plop the carrots onto pan and sprinkle with cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. Give em a good mixin’ and roast them in oven about 30 minutes or until you can poke a knife through them

5. While carrots are cooking, combine dressing ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk until emulsified

6. Taste and add citrus juices, salt and pepper to taste

7. Lightly toss carrots with dressing

8. Add grapefruit and goat cheese

9. If desired add chives for fancifying (is that a word?)

BONUS: How to supreme citrus

1. Carefully remove both ends of the grapefruit with a knife so that it can stand up on either side

2. Using a paring knife, gently remove the skin of the grapefruit so that the knife is cutting from one open end to the other in a gentle downward motion

3. Once all the skin is removed you’ll be able to see that each segment of the grapefruit is separated by a wall, aka membrane

4. Carefully use your knife to cut on the inside of each segment wall, releasing the grapefruit segment

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