Roasted carrots with carrot top and cilantro pesto

For the roasted carrots:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
• 2. Trim the carrot tops, leaving 1 inch of green attached. Scrub the carrots clean and dry; no need to peel.
• 3. Zest the orange and reserve for the pesto.
• 4. Juice the orange and add to a large bowl with the carrots, along with the cumin seeds, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
• 5. Roast on a sheet pan for 20 to 25 minutes in the upper-third of the oven, or until the carrots are tender and are caramelized in areas.

For the pesto:

• 1. After putting the carrots in the oven, toast the almonds for a few minutes in a dry skillet over medium heat. You want them to take on some color and for the smell of almond to rise into the kitchen.
• 2. Clean and dry the carrot tops and cilantro, then chop them roughly.
• 3. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the carrot tops, cilantro, zests of orange and lemon, shallot, grated garlic, almonds, cheese (or salt), and pulse a few times into a coarse paste.
• 4. Add the olive oil and lemon juice, then pulse until everything is combined. If the pesto remains a little dry, you can add a little more olive oil as needed or water.
• 5. Taste for seasoning and add lemon juice or salt as needed.

Serve the carrots and pesto as a side dish with small dollops of pesto over the carrots or use the pesto as a dip for the carrots.