When you bake or roast vegetables and seaweed as snacks, its the seasonings that make them stand out, even more than their crisp texture. Bake off their natural moisture, and they taste bland without a bit of salt and spice.
For delicate sheets of nori and leaves like kale and chard, the trick is to add just enough liquid ingredients, like soy sauce, sesame oil and citrus juice, that salt and powdered spices stick yet the snacks don’t turn soggy. Root vegetables like carrots and garlic stay firm with a more liquid coating, so they welcome a paste like harissa.
Harissa is a versatile North African condiment that I first tasted when traveling in Moracco. I included a version in my cookbook, The Complete Guide to Pickling, that was inspired by my memories of the blend of peppers, garlic, spices and lemon but uses dried chilies easy to find, or grow and dry, here in Montana. It takes just minutes to make from rehydrated chilies and lasts for months in the fridge. Once made, a little goes a long way.
My favorite street food in Morocco tossed harissa with brined olives. It plays well in sweet-and-spicy combinations, like when baked onto sugar-dusted nuts or mixed with caramelized onions or squash. The paste features in Harira (Moroccan Tomato Lentil Soup), so use it spice up other soups and chowders. It also adds delicious heat to young, tender Maple-Glazed Carrots cooked in a stovetop skillet.
This recipe for roasted carrots makes the vegetable more snack than side dish. It’s delicious with small carrots freshly plucked from the garden, but large storage carrots are easier to peel or slice ultrathin. My attempts to make snappy carrot “chips” with a standard oven’s drying heat blackened the strips before they became crunchy, so I snack on these or use them as a garnish while still warm and barely crisp.
Shaved and Roasted Carrots with Harissa
Makes about 1-1/4 cups
1-1/4 pounds carrots
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon harissa, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely ground (optional)
Scrub the carrots clean under cool running water. Run a vegetable peeler down their length or scrape them over a mandoline on a bias to create paper-thin strips or ovals.
In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, harissa, oil, maple syrup, cumin and salt. Add the carrots and toss until well coated.
On a rimmed, parchment-lined baking sheet, spread the carrots in an even layer. Roast at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until they caramelize and begin to brown. Check them often toward the end of the roasting time and, if they start to stick, use a spatula to gently loosen them from the parchment.
Season the hot carrots with pepper and sprinkle with parsley and pistachios, if desired. Serve immediately.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.