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This is another great recipe that we recently tried from Alice Waters’ “The Art of Simple Food”.  Everything in it is wonderful. Buy it. Nightbird Books usually has it in stock.  — chris

Algerian in origin, this recipes makes a colorful, tasty hors d’oeuvre.  Serve it at room temperature with toasted croutons or pita bread and marinated olives. Warm, it makes a great side dish with baked fish and Chermoula.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced fine
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground caraway
• 1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt
• Chopped cilantro

Steps:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and garlic cloves.
2. Cook until the carrots are tender. Drain.
3. Heat in a small heavy pan the olive oil.  Add onions. Cook until soft, about 7 minutes.
4. Crush in a mortar and pestle or under a heavy skillet the cumin and caraway. Add to the sautéed onions with salt.
5. Add the drained cooked carrots and garlic and cook for a couple minutes more. Off the heat, mash into a coarse purée with a potato masher or fork.
6. Add lemon juice and taste for salt.  Adjust as needed.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro.