roasted carrot hummus

an irresistible winter veggie dip

T-minus 3 days until Christmas y’all… HOW WE DOIN?

Let’s just say this week our family has not been thriving… but we’re surviving? Our toddler Sawyer has been sick with a nasty cold and a double ear infection, so we’ve been trying to get him healthy while also caring for a newborn who will only nap while in a carrier strapped to my chest, and who still needs to be fed every 3 hours. Currently, our kitchen sink is stacked high with dirty dishes, there are mountains of laundry to be tackled, not a single present has been wrapped, and Sawyer’s toy trucks are scattered on every. single. surface. of our house.

At this point, I’m learning to just lean into the chaos, and honestly, it’s been pretty freeing to let go of the distractions that I’m usually consumed with around the holidays. This year, we’re keeping it simple and we’re grateful for this time together and for our little farm that has kept us well-stocked in fresh eggs, hearty greens, and sturdy root veggies… which inspired this week’s recipe for roasted carrot hummus, keep reading for the recipe!

A note that I’m taking next week off from the newsletter, but I’ll look forward to being back in the new year, with heaps more gardening tutorials and new seasonal recipes to help y’all eat like farmers. Wishing each of you a holiday filled with love and light and rest and warmth and deliciousness!

PS – If you need a great last minute gift, may I suggest a 1-year gift subscription to this newsletter? You can schedule exactly when you’d like it to arrive, and you can print this gift card to wrap up for easy gifting.

PPS – If you have an aspiring veggie gardener in your life, I’m offering one-on-one virtual garden consultations, where I’m helping folks set their gardening goals, work through challenges, and create an in-depth planting plan for the 2024 growing season. These consultations are virtual, so the recipient can live anywhere!

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Need some culinary inspiration? Here’s my weekly round up of hyper-seasonal recipes from other awesome Substack writers to help you eat like a farmer this week:

• Dutch Oven Stuffing from

  Joan Niesen
  /
  Grazing

• Bacon, Maple, & Coffee Jam from

  Will Cooper
  /
  A Private Chef

• Lasagna with Roasted Mushrooms & Winter Squash from

  Lukas Volger
  /
  Family Friend by Lukas Volger

As you may have gleaned from my earlier note, it’s been a *less is more* kind of week around here. Dinners the past few nights have been hobbled together leftovers, Indian take-out, and one night I threw together a big veggie platter that we enjoyed with this delishhh roasted carrot hummus.

I’ll admit that carrot hummus doesn’t exactly scream MERRY CHRISTMAS (!) but I guarantee it will make a fabulous dip/appetizer for any upcoming holiday gatherings. It’s part hummus, part insanely delicious veggie dip that is sweet and nutty and irresistible. You make it by simply roasting some carrots with whole spices and garlic cloves, and then whiz everything together in a food processor along with some tahini, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar.

A few helpful recipe notes:

• The recipe calls for *whole* coriander and cumin seeds, but you can use ground coriander and cumin if that’s all you have. (I like using whole spices for this recipe because they mostly get ground up in the food processor, but there are usually some whole spices that don’t get fully ground, and I love the crunch and texture that they give the dip.)

• While we’re talking food processors… THIS is my favorite little 4-cup food processor that’s a workhorse in my kitchen, especially for times when I don’t want to lug out my giant 10+ cup food processor.

• As written, this recipe makes 1.5 cups of dip, which is plenty for a few people to enjoy. But if you’re feeding a larger group, this recipe easily doubles or triples!

Roasted Carrot Hummus

Makes 1.5 cups