I know what you're thinking here, and before you call the cops just hear me out. Carrots have sugar! And sugar when applied to heat is so damn delicious. I've never put a camera inside of a grill to see what happens when I close the lid, but honestly - I think there is magic happening in there. Like keebler-elves-living-in-a-tree sort of magic. This is a dish that looks fancy AF but is actually just about making a few components ahead of time and blowing everyone's mind that their friend is a pinky's-up-way-too-fancy-chef who might also be a keebler elf.

my point being: don't knock it till you rock it! 

Grilled carrots with cherries, savoury almond crumb and carrot puree

1 bunch of heirloom carrots, rinsed and cut in half

1 large orange carrot, peeled and cut into rounds

3 cloves of garlic

½ onion, diced

3 pieces of cherries, cut in half and pitted

5 pieces of ground cherries, cut in half

½ cup of almond meal

¼ cup of oat flour

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup vegan butter, cold in the fridge

Wild greens for garnish, edible flowers, nasturtium, whatever you can find

Salt + cooking oil of your preference

Carrot puree

1. in a pot, place large carrot, garlic and onion and cover with water. Boil until carrots are tender, like “baby food” tender.
2. Place in a blender with ¼ of vegan butter, blend on high until smooth. Adjust seasoning accordingly to your preference and let cool to room tempurature.

Savoury Almond Crumble

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. In a bowl combine almond meal (you can grind almonds in a blender if you can’t find this), oat flour, pepper, cumin, coriander, baking power + salt. Whisk together.
2. Starting with a tablespoon, add in tempered butter and mix gently by hand. Continue to add vegan butter by the tablespoon until it just comes together as a crumble – when you press it together in your hand it should stick together and crumble.
3. Place crumble on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, turning the backing tray 180 degree half way through cooking time.
4. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

To Plate

1. Heat grill up to about 500f (this can be done in a pan or an oven, but you will need to roast for longer at a lower temperature). Season carrots generously with salt and a brushing of oil, place cut side down on the grill.
2. Close lid and let carrots cook for 4-6 minutes, flip onto other side and repeat the process. They should be soft but still have a bit of texture to them.
3. On a plate, add three generous dollops of carrot puree in a triangle position and line carrots up evenly so there are no gaps between them.
4. Place almond crumble down, followed by cut cherries (I do 3 -5 of each cherry) followed by finishing salt to finish and some greens to add a splash of colour.