Spring has sprung! Gardens and markets are filled with fresh vegetables, and you can enjoy every last bite of them. In fact, the greens and peels that usually get discarded are just as delicious as the parts you know and love. To help cultivate a root-to-stalk mind-set, we asked four of our favorite chefs to create inspiring recipes using these overlooked bits, from carrot tops to chard stems—and even help us grow a few sprouts of our own.
Charred Carrot Toasts With Carrot-Top Pesto and Buttermilk Ricotta
Carrot fronds and scallion greens are full of herby flavor that brightens up almost any savory dish. Vivian Howard, star of the PBS series A Chef's Life and chef-owner of Chef & the Farmer in North Carolina, roasts carrots till they're golden brown, then arranges them on crusty ciabatta with creamy, tangy buttermilk ricotta and dollops of pesto made of carrot fronds and scallions. (The pesto is also tasty drizzled on eggs, mashed into a baked potato, or tossed with roasted veggies.) And here's a bonus: If you plunk carrot tops and scallion bulbs in water and give them a little sun, they'll grow new greens, so you can keep these pesto fixings on hand.
Get the recipe: Charred Carrot Toasts With Carrot-Top Pesto and Buttermilk Ricotta
