Carrots

Remove carrot tops leaving 1-2 inches of stems and place in the fridge in a bag to save for later. Place roots in the coldest area of the refrigerator in a perforated bag to keep them crisp. 

Cooking carrots actually increases the availability of antioxidants. Quick steam carrots by bringing water to a boil in a vegetable steamer, slice carrots, and steam for approximately 5 minutes being careful not to overcook. If carrots are organically grown, maintain maximum nutritional benefits by not peeling carrots but rather lightly scrub carrots in running water before cooking.

The tops are an extra edible bonus that comes with the carrots! Wash them to remove any debris and remove any yellow or wilted leaves. Strip leaves discarding the tough stems. The leaves can be chopped and added to salads or tossed into soups and stews. Another alternative is Carrot Top Pesto found under the recipe tab.

All produce is cleaned and raw for those who want to prepare their own salads. These are not ready-to-eat. We recommend rinsing your produce before eating.

Carrots

• Excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids).
• Very good source of biotin, dietary fiber, molybdenum, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin C, and vitamin K.
• Good source of copper, folate, manganese, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), and vitamin E.
• Best known for its outstanding beta-carotene content, carrots are also rich sources of other phytonutrients such as alpha-carotene, lutein, hydroxycinnamic acids, anthocyanins (especially in red or purple varieties) and polyacetylenes.
• A rich source of phytonutrients like beta-carotene may help reduce the risk of certain cancers, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin which are important for eye health.

Carrot Top Pesto

• 1 cup packed carrot top greens
• 1 cup packed baby spinach
• 2 cloves garlic
• Juice from one lemon
• ½ cup raw walnuts
• 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste 

For a nut-free version replace walnuts with raw sunflower seeds or use chickpeas or white beans.

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Serving ideas: On roasted carrots, on pasta, as a dip for veggies, or anywhere else you would use pesto.