Moroccan Spiced Carrots Carrots are a pretty durable vegetable that can handle a fair amount of seasoning as I found out when, on a 1994 trip to Morocco with other chefs, I was handed some carrots and a bunch of spices and told to whip up something. The result was a dish that has become the most popular dish at Mezze. 2 tablespoons pine nuts 1½ tablespoons cumin seeds ¼ cup olive oil 12 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut on the diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick slices ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon honey 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 12 Moroccan or other black oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the pine nuts on a small sheet pan or pie plate and toast for 9 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside. Meanwhile, put the cumin seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat and toast for 4 minutes, stirring a few times. Grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Set aside. Put the olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the carrots in 1 layer. Cook the carrots over high heat for about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes more, or until the carrots are tender and golden brown. Gently shake the pan to cook evenly. Add the salt. Put the carrots in a colandar to drain. Transfer the carrots to a mixing bowl. Add the honey, lemon juice, olives, and cumin and mix together. Cool to room temperature and mix in the cilantro, mint, and pine nuts. To serve, place in a large decorative bowl. Serves 4. From "Matthew Kenney's Mediterranean Cooking" by Matthew Kenney and Sam Gugino middle eastern recipe index christina m k al-sudairy buy the book!