Carrot and fennel make a wonderfully unexpected pairing — sweet, aromatic, and earthy all at once. In this “beanotto,” creamy white beans take the place of rice, creating a silky, comforting base that soaks up the vegetables’ gentle warmth. The fennel brings it's aniseed aroma and the carrots bring their natural sweetness, and together they create a bowl that feels both rustic and refined.

What really lifts the dish is the carrot‑top pesto: bright, herbaceous, and just a little wild. It turns what could be a simple recipe into something vibrant and full of life, celebrating the whole vegetable from root to leaf. This is thrifty cooking at its most elegant — nourishing, colourful, and quietly impressive.

Don’t throw away your carrot tops if they’re in perfectly good condition — they’re edible and can be used to make a vibrant, herb‑like pesto that tastes fresh, green, and a little peppery. Their flavour sits somewhere between parsley and celery leaves, giving you a bright sauce that’s perfect for tossing through pasta, spooning over roasted vegetables, or spreading onto crusty bread.

Bahamian peas and rice is one of those dishes that instantly tells you where it comes from — warm, savoury, and deeply tied to island home‑cooking. It’s a staple across the Bahamas, built on pigeon peas, aromatic vegetables, and a gentle smokiness from bacon or salted meat. Everything simmers together with thyme, tomato, and a touch of heat, creating a pot of rice that’s richly seasoned, comforting, and full of character.