The salt-baked carrots at the popular East Asheville bistro Copper Crown are an ideal way to usher in spring. With layers of complex flavors, this vegan dish presents sweet and earthy flavors while also delivering sour and savory notes that make the whole plate worth lingering over. 

Copper Crown sources the season’s beautiful carrots from Cottle Organic Farm in Ross Hill, NC. They’re coated in a mixture of salt, citrus zest, thyme and black pepper, and then baked for 35 minutes at 350°F. 

After cooling, the excess salt is rubbed off, and the carrots are pan seared. Tossed with a small handful of raw shaved carrots and radishes for a nice crunch, the carrots are then coated in a chimichurri made with garlic, herb sauce, lemon zest, cumin and coriander. 

The dish is served over a sweet and tangy coconut curry sauce that adds another pleasing level of flavor. The curry is made with a mix of aromatics, lime juice, cilantro, yellow curry powder, brown sugar and coconut milk. 

The whole dish is garnished with roasted peanuts and watercress, leaving diners with a truly unique experience, where attention has been paid to both flavors and textures. “My inspiration for this dish was to offer a satisfying vegan dish that presented rich and hearty flavors,” says Jacob Whitman, Copper Crown’s sous chef. “Our diners like how packed full of flavor it is.” ◊◊