Spiced roasted carrots

As we catapult our way into shorter days, I like to preserve all the remaining hues of warm sunshine with a little multi-colour action in the kitchen and on our plates. These days you will be sure to find me greedily grabbing all the bunches of irresistible candy coloured carrots at the farmers market or greengrocer ready to roast and provide instant cheer.

This recipe was originally created a couple of years ago for one of our first ever Popups at the famous Pump Street Bakery. An incredible memory of a moment that feels like a lifetime ago, we cooked up feasts over a two night residency at this gem of an award winning bakery, tucked into the most perfect town on the Suffolk Coast.

Using only local ingredients from some of the country’s finest producers, carrots were not on our original menu. But as I walked through the gate of Maple Farm to collect our vegetable haul I was stopped in my tracks by a mountain of glorious bunches of rainbow carrots that I swiftly added to the bounty in the boot of the car. And thus this recipe was born.

Equally as good at room temperature as hot out of the oven and the perfect side to brighten up your life, these are a regular at my table from late summer, when these jazzy carrots first appear, all the way through the early winter months.  Sweet, with a little crunch, and a lingering spice punch, be careful not to eat them all before you sit down.

Note: if you are wondering about my favourite roasting tin pictured here, it’s made by my friend and incredibly talented artist/blacksmith, Conrad Hicks.  This is my probably the most used item in my kitchen.

Cooking these high and fast ticks the instant gratification boxes and retains their crunch while giving you those desirable caramelised edges.