Carrot Salad

I am generally obsessed with Middle Eastern food. I cannot state that I know everything about the cooking processes or the ingredients, nor can I contest the authenticity of the dishes I consume in Brooklyn. I can, however, imitate what I know to be good, and practically, as the saying goes, hit the nail on the head.

And so, carrot salad makes an appearance in my kitchen:

It's something I crave almost weekly, especially during the HOT HAZY HUMID (as the weathermen say) days of summer. And every time I purchase the $2.50 always-too-small container of carrot salad, I think, I could make this.

Slice carrots about 1/2 an inch thick and steam until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes. The trick is: you want to take away the crunchiness, but retain tenderness and maintain the inherent structure of the vegetable. While the carrots are steaming, combine a liberal amount of fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, roughly chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Once the carrots are done, toss them in the dressing while they are still warm; this, I think, is the trick to the dish. The carrots soak up all the simple flavors of the dressing while lending a natural sweetness to the dish.

For best results, prepare the carrot salad the night before serving.