Organization

"One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries."
- A.A. Milne

So you're wondering why I'm posting a recipe for roasted carrots on the first hot day of the year.

It's a legitimate question. An organized blogger would have made these back in February, and posted the recipe while there were still icicles hanging off the roof. And I really don't have an excuse, given how long winter lasted this year.

In truth, I meant to make this recipe all winter. But there were always more glamorous recipes calling for my attention. At the end of the day, roasted carrots sounded pretty ordinary.

And once I finally made them, and realized how much I loved them, I was too excited to think about taking pictures until after they'd been eaten.

Which is why I found myself, in the second-last week of May, turning my oven to 425 degrees to roast another batch of these carrots. They were as wonderful the second time as they were the first - both sweet and savoury, with a perfect al dente firmness. Whether or not you're disorganized, let these carrots be your surprising discovery of the day!

Honey Roasted Carrots with Lemon Tahini Yogurt Sauce

(adapted from  Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe in the Guardian, via The Cafe Sucre Farine)

Ingredients for carrots:

2 1/2 to 3 pounds carrots (this looks like a lot, but don’t cut back – you’ll eat them all)

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds or dried cumin

2 tsp thyme leaves, roughly chopped and stems removed

1/2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt

feshly ground pepper

Ingredients for the yogurt sauce:

1 1/2 Tbsp tahini paste

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 tsp sea salt

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil two large sheet pans.

Peel the carrots, then halve them lengthwise. Cut into quarters if carrots are thick.

Place carrots, honey, olive oil, coriander, cumin, thyme, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl or freezer bag. Mix until the carrots are well coated, then spread out over the prepared pans.

Roast for about 40 minutes, flipping carrots several times, until tender, golden and glazed.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic and a pinch of salt.

Once the carrots are done, place on individual plates while still warm or at room temperature. Top with a spoonful of sauce and serve.