ROASTED CARROT & AVOCADO SALAD WITH CITRUS DRESSING

Steps:

• Don't peel the carrots.
• First, make the herb and spice paste for the carrots.
• In a mortar, combine the cumin seeds, chilli, salt and pepper and smash up with a pestle. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and pound until you have a paste-like consistency. Now add just enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the paste, together with 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Mix together.
• Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
• Cook carrots in boiling, salted water for about 10 minutes or until almost cooked - run a sharp knife into one and it should push through without too much resistance.
• Drain carrots, pat dry with kitchen paper, and put into a roasting tin.
• Pour the spice paste mixture over the carrots and rub in well with your hands.
• Place the roasting tin in the oven and bake carrots for 30 minutes, then add the orange and lemon halves to the tin.
• Bake for another 15-30 minutes until carrots are well roasted and the skins are golden brown.
• (Jamie puts the fruit and the carrots in together, and roasts the lot for 30 minutes. I found this wasn't long enough to get the carrots well roasted and when I left them in longer, the orange and lemon dried out a bit - so the above method is my compromise.).
• While the carrots are roasting, halve the avocados, remove the seeds, scoop out the flesh and cut into wedges.
• Place avocado wedges into a large mixing bowl or salad bowl.
• Heat a medium sized frying pan over a medium heat on the stove and add the seeds. Toast seeds in the frying pan, tossing frequently, until lightly browned. Remove to a small bowl until needed.
• In the same pan, add a good couple of swigs of olive oil and toast your bread slices on both sides. Remove to a plate until needed.
• Now, remove the roasting tin from the oven.
• Using a pair of tongs, squeeze the roasted orange and lemon halves into a bowl (don't worry if some pulp falls out too).
• Add an equal amount of extra virgin olive oil to the bowl along with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, and season with some crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
• Add the roasted carrots to the avocados in the bowl and pour over the dressing.
• Now roughly tear up the toasted bread slices and add to the salad.
• Add the mixed greens and toss the lot together.
• Divide salad between four plates or bowls, spoon a dollop of sour cream on the top of each, sprinkle with the toasted seeds and finish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.