I often find myself yearning for the rich flavor, sweet smoke and complexity that only a BBQ can impart. Over time, I have learned that often, the longer you cook a carrot, the better. In fact, the perfect carrot is nearing that of being totally burnt, unfortunately this often takes a pretty long time. Lucky for us, this recipe, combines blanching the carrots, seasoning them and then tossing them on a hot grill for total perfection. The carrots become tender on the inside, infused with spice and grill magic, while caramelizing on the outside. Enjoy!

Thank you Lentine Alexis for the beautiful photos - we can make anything look good! Even in a North Carolina parking lot :)

Serves 8

Ingredients

Carrots - 2 lbs skin on and tops trimmed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - to coat about 3 tbsp
Maple Syrup - 3 tbsp

Spice Rub
Paprika - 2 tbsp
Smoked Paprika - 1 tbsp
Cumin - toasted and ground 2 tsp
Fennel Seed - toasted and ground 2 tsp
Celery Salt - 2 tsp
Black Pepper - 2 tsp

Sumac Yogurt
Non fat greek yogurt - 2 cups
Buttermilk (optional) - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
Sumac - 1 tbsp
Salt and Black pepper - to taste

Pistachios, mint and dill to garnish. About 1/4 cup of each.

Method

Carrots - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and preheat grill to medium high heat. As it is heating up, wash and trim carrots. Toast spices and blend spice mixture. Add prepared carrots to the water and boil for about 4 min or until a knife can be pushed through with a bit of resistance. Remove carrots and shock in ice bath, or run under cool water. Let dry. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup. Then sprinkle spice mixture. Place carrots on grill and grill on all sides until charred, about 10 min.

Yogurt - Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

To Finish - place carrots on a serving platter and drizzle with yogurt, top with pistachio, mint and dill.