This recipe from Dave Raggio at Reunity Resources utilizes “ugly” carrots to make a spicy dip he calls a hummus. “At our farm, we are carrot people,” he says. “Many of the carrots that pop out of the ground even look like people, with arms and legs, or are split, stumpy, twisted, knobby, and broken. They’re all still so good to eat.” Raggio says you can dip most anything in this hummus—even fingers, or more carrots!

  • 2 pounds carrots
  • ¾ cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 1 ½ lemons, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon harissa (or more if you like spice)
  • 1–2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup water, divided (more or less, to desired consistency)
  • Black sesame seeds to top

Makes 1 quart

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Clean and rough chop carrots, toss in ¼ cup olive oil, and spread on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a dry pan, toast the whole cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant, then roughly grind with mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

3. Combine all spices in a bowl and set aside.

4. Check carrots, they should be smashable and slightly browned. Remove carrots from the oven and let cool.

5. In a food processor, combine roasted carrots, tahini, lemon juice, harissa, garlic, spice mix, and half the water. Begin processing, drizzling in the remaining olive oil and water until desired consistency is reached.

6. Taste and adjust harissa and salt to your liking; add more harissa if you wish to crank up the heat.

7. Top with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds and a drizzle of olive oil.

This recipe originally appeared in "Eat Like a Local" by Candolin Cook.