Foodsberg: Spring Carrots with Carrot Top Salsa Verde from SubTerra Kitchen

When I pitched this idea to Javier Santos at Newberg’s SubTerra Kitchen & Cellar, he immediately jumped on board.

“This is the stuff I’m really passionate about,” he told me. “Sharing food with the community and inspiring people to think differently about what and how they eat. It’s a big part of what we do here.”

I tasked him with a recipe that’s seasonal—ideally made with ingredients anyone could pick up at our local Newberg Wednesday Market—and relatively simple to make without the need for any special equipment.

And then I got the text: Spring Carrots with Whipped Fromage Blanc, Carrot Top Salsa Verde, and Crispy Carrot Ribbons. Assignment, understood.

A big part of Javier’s mission is sourcing local ingredients, preparing them in a way that highlights the best qualities, and ensuring little to nothing goes into the bin (and even those scraps generally go to his rabbit hutch at home).

This recipe fully aligns with his mission: you peel the carrots, but the peels are fried into a crispy topping. You remove the market stems, but the flavorful fronds are pureed into a salsa to brighten the rich cheese sauce and sweet roasted carrots. Oh, and of course the Fromage Blanc is locally-sourced from our own award-winning creamery, Briar Rose (but you can sub in any Fromage Blanc or even ricotta, Javier said).

And hey, we get it—life is busy. If you don’t have the time to make this at home, SubTerra has got you covered! Javier added this dish to the SubTerra Kitchen & Cellar menu for the season to go along side their other seasonal creations. You can find available tables on their website.

Spring Carrots with Whipped Fromage Blanc, Carrot Top Salsa Verde, and Crispy Carrot Ribbons

Chef: Javier Santos, SubTerra Kitchen & Cellar

“This dish exemplifies our ethos of simple food & bold flavors, and the addition of ‘nose to tail’ and no waste use of ingredients. While sourcing our ingredients from local farmers, we want to honor their hard work and utilize every single part of their products, demonstrating that good food can be easy to execute and enjoyed at home as well as in our restaurant.

With dishes like this we encourage you to look around our town and visit our local farms to source the food you consume, we are blessed by being surrounded not only with great wine, but great farms that have all the ingredients for a delicious meal. Enjoy!”

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 – 3

Pro tips: A few small tips will help this recipe truly shine. For one, make sure and wash your carrots well, including the carrot tops. They can sometimes carry dirt or grit between the delicate fronds. Treat them like salad greens by giving them a good rinse and then drying them off in a salad spinner.
For the carrot peel ribbons, peel your carrots and then toss them in an ice water bath. This helps keep them firm and fresh—just make sure and dry them completely before putting them in hot fryer oil!
Lastly, almost every part of this recipe can be made before hand and stored in the fridge until you’re ready. So, if you’ve got a meal prep day, throw some of this in the mix and then pull it out to elevate your week day dinner.

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare the Carrots: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Blanch your carrots for a 1 minute in boiling water, this will give you a crispy roasted texture outside and a firm, not mushy texture inside. This can be done ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator if needed.
   Toss the carrot with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper (for a surprise flavor add fennel pollen, which can be bought at any specialty food store). Spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 6-8 minutes until tender, then add 1 Tbsp honey and put back in the oven until they are slightly caramelized.
2. Make the Whipped Fromage Blanc: While the carrots are roasting, combine Fromage Blanc, lemon zest, thyme leaves, salt, 2 Tbsp honey, and optional ricotta if you’re including in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, adjust salt and pepper seasoning to taste.
3. Prepare Carrot Top Salsa Verde: In a food processor, combine washed carrot tops, hazelnuts, apple cider vinegar, salt and 1/4 cup olive oil. Blend until mixture emulsifies.
4. Make Crispy Carrot Ribbons: Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan, pot, or fryer to 350°F (175°C). Fry carrot peels/ribbons in batches, without crowding the pan, until golden and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, seasoning with salt and pepper immediately.
5. Assemble the Dish: Spread a generous dollop of whipped Fromage Blanc on the serving plate so it acts as a bed for the carrots to rest. Spoon the Carrot Top Salsa Verde over the cheese, and then arrange the Roasted Carrots on top. Garnish with Crispy Carrot Ribbons, and serve immediately.

I’ve found this is also a beautiful brunch dish, served on top of a slab of country toast.