Hedgehog potatoes with herbed yogurt dip

Have you heard of hedgehog potatoes? I hadn't, until I saw this fun recipe. Basically, they are potatoes that are cut into thin slices, but the cuts don't go all the way through the potato, so the slices end up spreading out a bit. This recipe comes from Super Natural Cooking, and includes thin slivers of harissa-coated garlic tucked in between the potato slices. The potatoes are garlicky and spicy, with a nice cool cilantro-mint yogurt dip to balance out the heat. As you can see, my obsession with purple vegetables continues with these potatoes...

Hedgehog potatoes with herbed yogurt dip
Adapted from Super Natural Cooking 
Serves 2

Note: we had a lot of dip left over when we made this.

8 small purple potatoes (ours were small enough that 4 potatoes was an appropriate side dish serving. You can substitute red or Yukon gold potatoes if you can't get purple)
3 cloves garlic, sliced paper thin
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp harissa (North African chile paste)
Salt

Dip:
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used sour cream)
1 small clove garlic, chopped
2 tbs chopped fresh mint
2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 deg F. Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut each potato into very thin crosswise slices, but only cut about 80% of the way through, so that the potatoes stay intact. Mix the garlic slices, olive oil, harissa, and a couple of pinches of salt together in a small bowl. Tuck the garlic slices in between the potato slices, and rub remaining oil mixture over the outsides of the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt, place on a baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, and then uncover and bake for 20 more minutes, or until fork tender.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt, chopped garlic, mint, cilantro, salt, and a couple pinches of pepper in a small bowl and stir well. Serve potatoes with dip on the side.

Moroccan carrot salad

I've been on a lookout for good carrot recipes lately, since I tend to come home from the market with at least one bunch every week. This is one of the more interesting ones, and led to my first taste of harissa, which is a very delicious chile paste that would be a welcome addition to a great many dishes. The harissa gives the dish some heat, which is balanced by the coolness of the mint and the sweetness of the carrots. Nothing is too overpowering here - the salad has a really nice blend of flavors. I found this recipe over on Smitten Kitchen, and thought it would be a good way to use some of the mint that my mother-in-law gave us from her garden. The original recipe calls for feta cheese, which is great, but I didn't have feta around, so I tried using olives to contribute some saltiness, with good results. A combination of olives and feta would be good too. I've been mentally toying with the idea of trying a variation using these spices with either roasted or sauteed carrot coins, to change up the texture and shape of the vegetable a little here, or maybe just wilting the shredded carrots a bit in a saute pan. Let me know if you try any variations on this. This salad keeps really well, and I've enjoyed it for lunch in a pita with some hummus.


Moroccan carrot salad
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4-5
3/4 pound carrots, peeled*, trimmed and coarsely grated
4 tbs olive oil
1 crushed clove of garlic
1/2 tsp caraway seeds or 1/4 tsp, ground
3/4 tsp cumin seeds or about half as much, ground
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp harissa, a North African chile paste
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs parsley, finely chopped
2 tbs fresh mint, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped olives or feta cheese (or a combination)

In a small pan, cook the garlic, spices, harissa and sugar in the olive oil for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Remove pan from heat, discard garlic, and add the lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt. Pour oil/spice mixture over the carrots, add olives, and mix. Add the herbs and mix again. Make sure to salt to taste before eating. This salad keeps well for a few days in the fridge.

*I usually don't bother peeling carrots unless the skins are especially thick or rough