This “compote” is just like baby food. If babies liked harissa.

And if pediatricians regularly recommended raw garlic as a part of an infant’s healthy diet. Or freshly ground caraway– babies probably don’t love that. And coriander seeds– those are probably a bit strong too.

Let me amend that last statement.

This “compote” looks just like baby food. It a puree after all. And maybe you’ll be as happy as roly poly baby after you eat it.

I ate a lot of ham over the holidays. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good ham. I also love all of the leftovers that come with the ham: the ham biscuits, the souffle with ham and Gruyere cheese, the fried ham steaks. (I am nothing if not resourceful. But I couldn’t face any more leftovers, therefore have stuck the bone in the freezer and will make split pea soup at a later date.) Come January I was ready to say farewell to the pig, and hello to some vegetables.

Enter the North African Carrot “Compote” from Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman. (By the way, I’m not sure why the word compote is in quotes; I’m just going with it.) This book had four recipes alone for carrot mezze, but this simple one was a standout to me, because I basically had all of the ingredients.

I made some rosemary-sea salt focaccia bread, hardly North African, but a delicious slathering tool and ate my “compote” right up. It’s spicy and savory, and yes, a more adult form of baby food.

North African Carrot “Compote”
adapted from Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman

1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large russet potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and diced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon harissa

Steam carrots and potato together until very soft, about 15-20 minutes. Mash with a mortar and pestle, or put through a ricer. (Using a food processor would just make the mixture gluey because of the starch in the potato.)

Stir in the lemon juice and the olive oil. Mash the garlic and the salt into a paste in a mortar and pestle. Add the spices, and continue to mash. It is not important that the seeds be completely ground, I liked mine with some body.

Add the paste, and the harissa. Stir well to blend, taste for salt, and then serve warm, or at room temperature.