Ingredients:
5 large carrots, washed and trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch slices (or 3 or 4 cups packaged shredded carrots)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, sprigs removed
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 (15-ounce) canned garbanzo or white beans, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 medium red, yellow or green bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil, to taste
Juice of 1 or 2 lemons
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
Fresh chopped thyme, dill, mint or basil
Salt and pepper
4 hard-cooked eggs, cut into quarters or chopped
Black olives, paprika, Aleppo pepper
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese or crumbled Feta cheese
Olive oil
Preparation:
Combine the carrots, parsley, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, red onion, green onions, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, spices, and salt and pepper, and toss. Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight before serving.
Spoon salad mixture into a serving bowl, and garnish with eggs, olives, paprika or Aleppo pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, top with cheese, and serve.
Note: Carrots may also be roasted for this recipe: toss carrots with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil on an ungreased baking tray, season with salt, pepper and chopped garlic, and bake at 400 degrees until soft and the edges turn brown, tossing, for 25 minutes. Remove carrots from oven and allow to cool before combining with other ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees to toast almonds. Place almonds on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up. Bake for 5 or 6 minutes, until the almonds are golden. Store cherry tomatoes in a cool place in the kitchen and they should last about one week. It’s best not to store tomatoes in the refrigerator as this can halt ripening and affect the taste. If necessary to do so, remove a couple of hours before use to bring them back to room temperature for best edibility. Cherry and grape tomatoes can be used interchangeably for most recipes like salads, but you may have to cut cherry tomatoes into smaller pieces since they’re larger. The only times cherry tomatoes are really preferable over grape is when you want to stuff them, but if you want the tomatoes to last a little longer, you should choose grape.For more information, go to: https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-grape-and-cherry-tomatoes-word-of-mouth-206683
Serves 4.
*Christine’s recipes have been published in the Fresno Bee newspaper, Sunset magazine, Cooking Light magazine, and at https://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/
