A Girl and Her Pig's Carrot, Avocado, and Orange Salad

In anticipation of this year's Piglet, we'll be sharing articles, recipes, and tips from past winners. Following The Art of Living According to Joe Beef is A Girl and Her Pig. Learn more about this year's tournament here, or head to Provisions to add some of the titles to your bookshelf!

Today: April shares her bacon-free Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon salad. 

This is my Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon salad. The two main ingredients -- carrot and avocado -- might not seem compatible or connected, but your first bite will convince you otherwise. The carrots are roasted with cumin and paired with orange, both classic pairings for the vegetable. The citrus goes great with cilantro, and both are a fine match for avocado. Before you know it, you have this fresh, vibrant salad. I love the carrots roasted to the same creamy softness of avocado. The contrast comes not from the texture but from the fact that one’s warm from the oven and the other’s cool from the fridge.

Sorry if I got your hopes up, but despite the salad’s nickname, there’s no bacon.

Carrot, Avocado, and Orange Salad

Serves 4

4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Maldon or another flaky sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried pequin chilies or red pepper flakes
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
30 or so similarly sized (each about the size of your pointer finger) young carrots, unpeeled, 1/2 inch of the green tops left on
3 tennis ball-sized oranges
3 ripe Hass avocados, chilled
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
A handful of small, delicate cilantro sprigs

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by David Loftus