Suzanne Goin’s Roasted Carrot Salad

Directions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

   Step 2

   for the beets and carrots: Clean the beets and toss them with a tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and place them in a roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast 30-40 minutes, until tender. Cool, then peel the beets by slipping them out of their skins with your fingers. Reserve 2 pounds (or 2/3) of the beets for the purée and cut the rest of the beets into wedges and set aside.

   Step 3

   Reserve the carrot tops and then trim the carrots down to ½ inch of stem. Clean the carrots well in ice water (I don’t like to peel them-- just make sure you scrub them well and change the water until it is very clean.) Toss the carrots with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and some freshly ground pepper. Pick the carrot tops into nice 1-2 inch sprigs, wash in ice water, dry and reserve in the refrigerator.

   Step 4

   Roast the carrots on a baking sheet about 12 minutes until they are tender and a little caramelized. Set aside.

   Step 5

   for the beet purée: Chop the remaining 2 pounds of beets and place in a blender with 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, the diced shallots, 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Process in blender until puréed very smooth. If needed add a splash of water to thin it out. Taste for seasoning (both acid and salt). Chill until you are ready to plate.

   Step 6

   for the cumin vinaigrette: Toast the cumin seeds in a small pan over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, until they release their aroma. Pound half to a fine powder. Transfer the cumin powder to a bowl and add the whole cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar. Whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil. Season to taste and reserve.

   Step 7

   for the cilantro pistou: Pound the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a generous pinch of salt. Add 1 cup cilantro sprigs (reserve the ½ cup for garnish) and pound to a paste, stir in ½ cup olive oil and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

   Step 8

   to serve: Spoon a nice sized dollop of beet purée to the center of each of 6 plates and spread it to the sides. Toss the carrots with some cumin vinaigrette, salt and pepper. Plate naturally over the purée making sure the vegetable don’t cover up the purée. Add the beet wedges to the bowl and season with salt, pepper and drizzle of the cumin vinaigrette. Tuck the beet wedges into the carrots, arrange the carrot top sprigs around the vegetables and, finally, spoon the pistou over and around the dish.