It is time for us to explore the theme of futures through the lens of food and consumption. Futures thinking is an essential tool for designers, researchers, and entrepreneurs. It helps us reimagine the possibilities of cooking and eating in the years to come. We invite you to reconsider how we look at the food we eat today. By doing more with less, thinking more and consuming less, we can create durable, sustainable and delicious food futures – we just need to transform the way we perceive food everyday. This zero waste carrots recipe builds a framework for endless possibilities of single-ingredient eating. Enjoy!

Zero Waste Carrots

[Serves 2 | Prep time: 30 min | Cook time: 40 min | Ⓥ ]

Ingredients
3-4 large Carrots

For the crispy carrot skin chips
1 tsp Salt
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 tsp Sweet paprika
1 tsp Smoked paprika

For the roasted carrot tails
¼ cup Olive oil
2 tbsp Maple syrup (or honey)
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dried oregano
½ tsp Salt

For the pickled carrot core
1 cup Water
½ tsp Salt
1 cup White sugar
1 cup Apple cider vinegar

For the carrot off-cut puree
1½  tbsp Olive oil
1/3 cup Water + 1 tbsp lemon juice OR 1/3 cup Orange/Apple juice
½ tsp Salt

zero waste carrots - carrots lined up on chopping board

Method

  1. Using a brush, scrub your carrots under running water to get rid of any dirt. Pat dry.
  2. Scrape the skin off your dried carrots, spreading it out over a dry tea towel onto a flat try. Place in the sun to dry (1-2 hours), or into the oven (45 mins) at a low heat 100°C (200ºF) to remove moisture.
  3. Prepare your peeled carrots. Line them up to the base of your chopping board, and slice off the narrow tails, about 1½ to 2 inches. Marinade in olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, oregano and salt. Set aside.
  4. Slice off the tops and sides (and any leftovers, off-cuts or strange pieces) of the tail-free carrots, and place set aside for pureeing. Reserve the rectangular cores for pickling.
  5. Cut your carrot cores into small cubes, around ¼ to ½ inches. Set aside for pickling.

    Method continued

  6. Add water, vinegar, salt and sugar into a pot over medium heat until sugar dissolves (about 4 minutes). Stir occasionally. Allow the pickle brine to cool completely.
  7. In a sterilized jar, add cubed carrot cores and pickle brine, gently shaking around to make sure the brine is touching all the carrots. Leave the jar at room temperature for 3-4 hours and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
  8. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350ºF). Spread out your marinaded carrot tails on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 mins, until tails are soft and slightly caramelized. Watch closely, you do not want your carrot tails to burn. You can flip them halfway.
  9. Add the olive oil, salt, and water (or juice) into a pot along with the carrot off-cuts. Cook over high heat until it just starts to boil and then reduce to medium heat – about 20 minutes.
  10. Drain and reserve the boiling liquid. Mash the tender carrots with a fork or, using a blender, adding the reserved boiling liquid as needed for the desired puree consistency. Add lemon juice. Taste and season with salt. Sieve to remove any lumps and set aside.
  11. Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Fry dried carrot skins in the hot oil, a little at a time, until crisp and slightly brown – be careful not to burn your carrot skin chips. Season with salt and paprika.
  12. To serve, smear some warm silky smooth carrot puree onto your plate. Top with a mountain of 1-2 tbsp of crunchy pickled carrots cubes. Rest 2-3 caramelized carrot tails over the pickled cubes. Finally, top with a generous amount of crispy carrot skins. Garnish with micro herbs, fresh parsley or young mint leaves if available.

Next Steps

  • Our signature Zero Waste Carrots feature as one of ten courses in Eating Without Eyes: a ten-course blindfolded travelling pop up experience we have hosted across the globe – from India to California, in Barcelona, Uganda and Taiwan!
  • You can book an experience with us, order your own experience kit, or even join our community of international superhosts and deliver unforgettable and engaging multisensory food experiences for your near and dear ones.
  • We’d love to hear about your single-ingredient cooking adventures. Share your experiences, processes, tips and trips with our community on Instagram.

Recipe by  Jashan Sippy for participants of How Do We Eat From Here? – a workshop exploring the theme of futures through the lens of food and consumption in association with Praxis arts.

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