Culinary Guides

This Egyptian spiced carrot puree is as versatile as it is good. Serve it as a side, spooned like a fancy mash, or use it as a dip. Our favorite way is spread thick on a slice of crusty bread with a drizzle of lemon tahini, a few roasted chickpeas, and a scatter of fresh cilantro or microgreens. It is sweet, a little spicy, and a homemade dukkah takes it over the top. Roast your own carrots for it and the flavor is deeper still.

Ingredients

For the carrots

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, washed and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2-3 teaspoons harissa spice mix or paste
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of salt and pepper

For the lemon tahini sauce

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water + more to thin if necessary
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the bread

• 1 loaf of good quality bread, sliced into 1/2 inch thick pieces

For the toppings (optional but recommended)

• Roasted chickpeas
• Microgreens (or minced cilantro/herbs of choice)
• Small handful of raisins

For the dukkah

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup fennel seeds
• 2 teaspoons dried mint
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400F (200C).
2. Toss the carrots with the olive oil, white wine vinegar, harissa, cumin, ginger, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast about 20 minutes, tossing halfway, until lightly browned and tender.
3. Make the dukkah while the carrots roast. Toast the hazelnuts and each seed separately in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often so nothing burns, since they toast at different rates. Combine the nuts, seeds, dried mint, sea salt, and black pepper in a food processor and pulse to a coarse or fine texture, as you like.
4. Whisk the tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper into a smooth sauce, thinning with more water only if needed. A thicker sauce works best for drizzling on toast.
5. Mash the roasted carrots with a fork or masher to your preferred texture and adjust the seasoning.
6. Slice and toast the bread until golden and crisp, in a toaster, on a grill, or in the oven.
7. Spread the carrot puree on each slice, sprinkle with dukkah, drizzle with the lemon tahini sauce, and finish with roasted chickpeas, cilantro or microgreens, and raisins if using.
8. Serve right away while the bread is warm.

The carrot puree and tahini sauce both keep 3 days in the fridge, so you can make them ahead and assemble fresh crostini when you are ready to serve.

Grower's tip: For the smoothest puree, pull your carrots young and tender. Oversized roots that sit too long in the ground turn pithy and woody in the center and never mash up as silky.

This one draws on the whole garden. Grow a bed of sweet carrots, a patch of cilantro, and even the fennel for your homemade dukkah.