Carrots, Dates, and Olives with Crème Fraîche and Frico

Servings

servings

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled

Extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup roughly chopped pitted Niçoise or other nice black olives

⅓ cup roughly chopped pitted Castelvetrano or other nice green olives

4 Medjool dates, pitted and very roughly chopped

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ cup lighly packed roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup crème fraîche

Frico

WINE PAIRING

Chardonnay

Instructions

SPLIT larger carrots lengthwise and leave slender carrots whole. Cut them on a sharp angle so you have long, angled, ¼ inch-thick pieces of carrot.

PUT the carrots in a medium saucepan or skillet, add a glug of olive oil and ½ cup water, and season with the chile flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and many twists of black pepper.

COOK at a lively simmer, uncovered, until the carrots are just crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes—they should still have definite crunch.

COOL the carrots slightly, drain off any liquid, and pile into a bowl.

ADD the olives and dates.

POUR in the vinegar and toss. Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper, chile flakes, or vinegar until the flavor is super vibrant.

ADD the parsley and toss again. Drizzle with a glug of olive oil and toss again.

DIVIDE the crème fraîche among 4 plates or a platter and spread it around in a nice schmear.

PILE the carrot salad on top, leaving some cream visible. If you’re serving with the fricos, lay them on top, either whole or broken into shards.

Ingredients

1 pound carrots, trimmed and peeled

Extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup roughly chopped pitted Niçoise or other nice black olives

⅓ cup roughly chopped pitted Castelvetrano or other nice green olives

4 Medjool dates, pitted and very roughly chopped

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ cup lighly packed roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup crème fraîche

Frico

WINE PAIRING

Chardonnay

Instructions

SPLIT larger carrots lengthwise and leave slender carrots whole. Cut them on a sharp angle so you have long, angled, ¼ inch-thick pieces of carrot.

PUT the carrots in a medium saucepan or skillet, add a glug of olive oil and ½ cup water, and season with the chile flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and many twists of black pepper.

COOK at a lively simmer, uncovered, until the carrots are just crisp-tender, 5 to 7 minutes—they should still have definite crunch.

COOL the carrots slightly, drain off any liquid, and pile into a bowl.

ADD the olives and dates.

POUR in the vinegar and toss. Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper, chile flakes, or vinegar until the flavor is super vibrant.

ADD the parsley and toss again. Drizzle with a glug of olive oil and toss again.

DIVIDE the crème fraîche among 4 plates or a platter and spread it around in a nice schmear.

PILE the carrot salad on top, leaving some cream visible. If you’re serving with the fricos, lay them on top, either whole or broken into shards.

Joshua McFadden, chef and owner of renowned trattoria Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon, is a vegetable whisperer. After years racking up culinary cred at New York City restaurants, he managed the trailblazing Four Season Farm in coastal Maine. In Six Seasons, McFadden channels both farmer and chef, highlighting the evolving attributes of vegetables throughout their growing seasons. His ingenuity is on display in 225 revelatory recipes that celebrate flavor at its peak. Get your copy of Six Seasons here!