Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A CARROT SALAD YOU SAY?

Don’t get me wrong, I “like” carrots. I enjoy the occasional carrot dipped in some ranch dressing or hummus as much as the next guy….but that’s about as far as my “like” for carrots goes. So, when I saw this recipe here I thought no way could a salad entirely made up of shredded carrots be delicious. But the ingredients looked like such an interesting flavor combination, so I decided to give it a go. It was delicious and so much MORE! It’s a great salad for a picnic, a dinner side dish, or a light lunch. It’s crunchy, sweet, and spicy with a hint of creaminess from the feta. Two thumbs WAY up.

Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint
¾ pound carrots, peeled, trimmed and coarsely grated
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 crushed clove of garlic
½ teaspoon caraway seeds (ground
¾ teaspoon cumin (ground)
½ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon harissa* (add less or more depending on how spicy you want it)
½ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
¾ cup feta, crumbled or chopped into bits

In a small sauté pan, cook the garlic, caraway, cumin, paprika, harissa and sugar in the oil until fragrant, about one to two minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Pour over the carrots and mix. Add the herbs and mix. Leave to infuse for an hour and add the feta before eating.


*Harissa is a spicy chile paste that can be found at specialty gourmet markets. It’s very popular in France so if you have a French market near you, you will definitely find it there. It’s delicious on almost everything and is very inexpensive. (yay!) This tube only cost $3.00 and it will last me quite a while.


R