Carrot tops have a fresh, slightly herbaceous flavour—somewhere between parsley and celery leaves. They’re packed with flavour and make a wonderful dip or pesto, helping reduce food waste while making the most of every bunch of carrots.

Serves 6 – 8 

Ingredients

• Tops from 1 bunch of carrots (about 2 packed cups), washed well and       tough stems removed 
• ¾ cup Australian macadamias, lightly toasted 
• ½ cup grated Parmesan 
• 1 garlic clove 
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 
• 2–3 tbsp lemon juice 
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1–2 tbsp cold water (if needed) 

Seafood Nahm Jim

• Wash the carrot tops thoroughly and pat dry. Remove any thick, fibrous stems. 
• Toast the macadamias in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until lightly golden. Cool slightly. 
• Place the carrot tops, macadamias, Parmesan, garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice into a food processor. 
• Pulse until roughly chopped. 
• With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth but still has a little texture. 
• Add a tablespoon or two of cold water if you prefer a looser consistency. 
• Season generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper. 

Method

1. For Seafood Nahm Jim: Place the hardest ingredients in the mortar first. Add a pinch of salt, pound and grind until ingredients are broken down. Add sugar. Grind into the mixture to develop a fine paste. Whisk in the liquids and mix with paste until well incorporated. Let the dressing sit for 5 minutes before tasting and adjust to taste. Set aside.
2. Assembly: Clean the scallop shells with a brush to remove all sand and dirt. The shells will be used as presentation and serving pieces. 
3. To trim the scallop meat, remove the outer mantle and the liver (black piece), keeping the flesh (muscle) and the roe (orange piece). For this recipe, only the muscle is needed; however, the roe is a tasty piece to incorporate into the ceviche should you feel adventurous. Slice each scallop into four wedges. Place the scallop wedges back onto the shells and dress each with about ½ tablespoon nahm jim.
4. Garnish with lemongrass, long-leaf coriander, makrut lime leaves and coriander sprigs, and optional cured salmon roe and edible flowers. Sprinkle the fried shallots on last for texture. Serve immediately.

Serve with

• toasted sourdough 
• fresh vegetable sticks 
• grilled chicken 
• roasted carrots 
• dolloped onto pumpkin soup 
• tossed through hot pasta with a splash of the pasta cooking water