This is easily one of my favorite fall salads. The creaminess of avocado and sour cream is amazing with the spiced zing of the carrots and the toasted, nutty seeds.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

　　1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

　　1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

　　Cumin and Citrus Roasted Carrots (page 188)

　　1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into thin wedges

　　4 cups sprouts, preferably a mix of radish and beet

　　1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sour cream

　　Edible flowers, for garnish, optional

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Spread the sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and golden, but not golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool completely.

　　

Step 3

Arrange the carrots on a serving platter, reserving the accompanying sauce. Put the avocado and then the sprouts on top. Drizzle with the reserved sauce.

　　

Step 4

Dollop the sour cream over the top, then sprinkle with the seeds. Garnish with flowers if desired. Serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.