PC: Amber Schoniwitz

One of my friends in Hawaii and I frequently say that the prettiest foods taste the best.  I love when we have weekly dinners together because out come all the fun little plates and we are busy snapping some pictures while my husband is patiently waiting to cut into his perfectly grilled steak.  Our favorite meal is steak and margaritas complete usually with some form of salad and roasted sweet potatoes.  This past fourth of July weekend, we were busy moving and threw together a last minute get together with some dear friends.  It was the perfect relaxing afternoon complete with fresh lilikoi margaritas, banana-grams, a beautiful picnic table meal and a windy firework display.

Lilikoi margarita making | PC: Amber Schoniwitz Summer Picnic Table Dinners | PC: Amber Schoniwitz

Like I always say, I love colorful foods, which are plentiful in the summer months.  The farmer’s market is blooming with more foods, flavors and textures than I could possibly eat in a summer, but there is a beauty found in the simplicity of fresh foods that I just love!  To me it is amazing how fresh foods simply prepared and topped with lots of butter, herbs and salt can taste so comforting and delicious!  You may find yourself eating this garlic herb butter by the spoonful, which I may or may not have done will snapping these pictures!  The whipped butter would be great on grain-free crackers or even grilled steak.  And if you are thinking that my butter is looking a little yellow in these pictures, that is because grass-fed butter generally takes on a deeper golden yellow hue in the warmer months due to the cow’s diet.

I was inspired by our fourth of July day feast to remake these grilled carrots and found them at the Saturday morning market.  The carrots and micro greens are from Suzie’s Farm in Southern California and you can taste the freshness of these vegetables.  If you are skeptical about grilling carrots, my husband asked the other day, “Can we make those awesome carrots again?!” Enjoy this colorful, summer dish to pass and share around the table!

Rainbow Carrots

They seem to be all the rage in the US right now, appearing at local farmer’s market and restaurants, however rainbow carrots are a staple in many countries around the world.  Historically, carrots came in every hue, ranging from deep purple to creamy white, however in the 1500s, the Dutch adapted orange carrots as their royal symbol and since then carrots have most often appear in orange.  But rainbow carrots offer a variety of flavors, the purple are slightly more peppery while the yellow are on the sweeter side.  Carrots are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and beta carotene which helps prevent against cancer.

Grilled Rainbow Carrots with Garlic, Herb Butter {gluten free, paleo}

A summer side dish of grilled rainbow carrots topped with whipped butter and garnished with herbs.  Paleo, Autoimmune Paleo and Whole 30 approved side dish.

Ingredients

• 2 bunches rainbow carrots
• handful of microgreens
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• few pinches of coarse grain sea salt or fleur de sel

Garlic Herb Butter

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks or 16 tbsp)
• 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Directions

• Set butter on the counter to bring to room temperature for 15 minutes.  Preheat the grill to medium (about 400 degrees F).
• Lightly scrub the carrots and cut tops off if desired.
• In a mixing bowl, whip together all herb butter ingredients until light and fluffy.
• Grill carrots on warmed grill for 10-20 minutes, rotating frequently.  *Grill time will depend on the thickness of your carrots and heat of grill.
• Plate and top with whipped garlic herb butter, toasted pine nuts, micro greens and a sprinkle of course sea salt.