Serves 4

1kg (2lb 4oz) carrots, peeled but left whole (unless they’re absolutely massive, when they can be halved lengthways)

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Good grind of black pepper

For the pumpkin seed salsa macha

4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon harissa

6 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

For the lime tahini

150g (5½oz) tahini

4 tablespoons lime juice

½ tablespoon agave syrup

1 teaspoon white miso

1 teaspoon soy sauce, or tamari

2½ tablespoons water, plus more if needed

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (425°F), Gas Mark 7. Line a roasting tray with nonstick baking paper.

Place your carrots on the lined tray and add the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix this all together, then roast for 25–30 minutes, turning halfway through. The idea is that these are cooked at a high temperature, to maintain some bite, but so they also become nicely burnished.

For the salsa macha, set a pan over a medium heat and add your pumpkin seeds. Toast for 3–4 minutes until the seeds pop and turn golden. You’ll need to shake the pan regularly to ensure they colour evenly. Tip them into a blender and pulse very briefly until they resemble a coarse rubble. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the remaining salsa macha ingredients.

For the tahini, put all the ingredients except the water in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly pour in the measured water while whisking. You want the tahini sauce to be the same consistency as thick hummus, so you might want to add a little extra water if it’s too thick.

To serve, smooth the tahini on to a serving dish, place your carrots on top and then drizzle over the salsa.

How to serve

This would be especially lovely alongside Toasted Buckwheat Tabbouleh (see page 153 of Centrepiece).