Recipe: Cider-Loving Moroccan Carrot Spread

Still reeling from the Toronto Raptors’ big win? If your fandom lead to talking smack with friends, Smackintosh from Tandem Ciders in Suttons Bay, Michigan, is the cider to share with this tasty carrot spread from across the border and over the Great Lakes State. If nothing else, both Raptors and Warriors fans will agree that this cider’s fresh and balanced apple flavors are delicious and pairing it with this recipe is a party-sized dip victory almost as big as an NBA championship title. 

Moroccan Carrot Spread 

Recipe by Chef Rodger Bowser of Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Ann Arbor, MI
Makes about 3 cups 

¾ pound carrots, peeled and roughly chopped  
½ pound Garnet or Jewel sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon lemon juice 
¼ cup olive oil 
2 cloves garlic 
¼ teaspoon salt 
1-2 dashes ground pequin chili or cayenne 
½ teaspoon smoked paprika 
½ teaspoon cumin 
¼ teaspoon coriander 
¼ teaspoon caraway 
2 tablespoons beldi or kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1-2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped 

Preheat oven to 425° F. Place carrots on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce in several places. Place both in the oven. Roast carrots until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and continue roasting sweet potatoes an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and cooked through. Cool both vegetables to room temperature, then peel sweet potatoes.  

Combine carrots, sweet potatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic and spices in a food processor and blend until smooth. Fold in olives and parsley. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with crudités and pita chips. 

This article originally ran in the print Volume 6 of Cidercraft Magazine. For the full story and more like it, click here.