“I was looking for a simple roasted carrot recipe on your site and couldn’t find one,” a friend told me a month ago and I immediately put “simple roasted carrot recipe” on my sprawling, decades-long To Cook list because sometimes I forget myself, too. Spoiler: I was never going to write a simple recipe for roasted carrots.
I mean, sure, there’s one within this recipe. My carrot-roasting philosophy [moment of pause for my gratitude that I have a little corner of the internet where I get to write about things like a carrot roasting “philosophy” and only a few of you will roll your eyes] is that they’re within the category of vegetables that need to be steam-roasted (see also: artichokes) because roasting them doesn’t necessarily soften the centers before they burn. So, we start cooking the carrots in a steamy environment until tender, then roast the rest of the way uncovered until browned and crisp. You could stop there.
But I want dinner, not something limited to being a side dish. And for that, we add lentils and yogurt. A sharp vinaigrette with lemon, garlic, cumin, oregano, and olive oil is used to dress lentils and then roasted carrots are rolled in a splash of this. The lentils are spooned over on a puddle of plain Greek yogurt on a plate, the carrots go on top, more lentils and dressing and a big fistful of herbs go over that and you will try this and entirely forget about the concept of a serving size. It is 4? 2? If you decide it’s just one, I do not judge, only encourage, a kindness I ask you to pay forward when I tell you that the leftovers, should there be any, are shockingly good mixed un-aesthetically and eaten cold from the fridge.
Something new! I’m so excited to announce the special audiobook edition of Smitten Kitchen Keepers, Smitten Kitchen Keepers: A Kitchen Counter Conversation! Available on November 12th and read by me, I hope it feels exactly like you’ve pulled up a chair and I’m hanging out in the kitchen with you, discussing techniques, substitutions, and chatting about what I think makes each recipe special. Bonus recipe: When you purchase the audiobook, you will receive a signed holiday card from me with a bonus recipe! To receive your card and recipe, complete the form with your purchase order number right here. [US Residents, 18+. Ends December 13, 2024.]
Podcast! A new episode of my podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Recipe with Kenji and Deb, is out and it’s all about Baked Ziti. You can listen to it anywhere you get your podcasts and catch up on any episodes you’ve missed right here. New episodes drop every other Monday. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we’re enjoying the conversation.
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