Ingredients
1 pound small carrots, cleaned
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
½ cup lightly packed oil-cured black olives, pitted and thinly sliced
4 cups loosely packed arugula or young dandelion greens
Juice of ½ a lemon
¼ pound ricotta salata, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
What to do:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut carrots in half length-wise and toss with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, thyme, ½ teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Warm a heavy-duty baking sheet in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Arrange the oiled carrots on baking sheet and roast about 15 minutes, or until carrots are crisp-tender and slightly caramelized.
While carrots roast, toast the cumin seeds in a small pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant. Using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, pulverize half the seeds to a fine powder.
In a small bowl, mix cumin powder with cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon of salt and red wine vinegar. Whisk in ¼ cup of olive oil.
Place cooked carrots in a large bowl with 2-3 tablespoons of cumin vinaigrette. Let the carrots marinate for 5 minutes.
Add the shallots and the olives to the bowl with the carrots and toss well.
Add arugula and season with a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat the greens. Taste for balance and seasoning.
Arrange salad on plates or a platter. Tuck the cheese in and around the leaves and carrots. Spoon extra dressing over top.
