Even better than how good they taste is how easy they are to make. Cutting the carrots into pieces is the most time-consuming part, and if you make a big batch, they’ll keep in the fridge for weeks.

If you like these, but aren’t so big on the spices, you might also want to try these marinated carrots from my grandmother Pat. They’re another great refrigerator staple to keep around in the summer.

Spicy Carrot Pickles
These quick pickles are a takeoff on this recipe from Bon Appetit, but with different spices. In terms of the spices, I really just used whatever I found in my cabinet, and encourage you to do the same. I think the carrots, garlic, lemon, and vinegar are about the only things essential for this recipe.

6-8 medium carrots (or about 5 large ones), cut into thin sticks, about 2″ long, or whatever shape you like, such as quarter or coins
peel from one lemon (removed in strips)
4 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3″ piece of ginger, cut into thin sticks

1 cup water
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili flakes (or more if desired; with 1 teaspoon my pickles had a very mild kick, but the chili flakes I have on hand right now are pretty mild themselves)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pack carrots, lemon peel, garlic and ginger into a one quart jar.

Combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices in a microwave safe container. Bring to a boil in the microwave, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Pour the brine and all the spices over the carrots (they should be covered). Let cool, close tightly, and refrigerate at least overnight. Pickles will keep for several weeks in the fridge. However, they will get spicier with time.

From the archives, first posted April 21, 2009.  This is one of our most popular posts and one of my favorite appetizers.  Easy and always a crowd pleaser, it’s a great one to have in your back pocket as we approach the holiday season.

We first had bacon-wrapped dates at a tapas place we like in Menlo Park, Iberia.  The service can be spotty, but the food is delicious, and the sangria is deadly.  They stuff their bacon-wrapped dates with Spanish-style chorizo.  It makes a great combination of spicy, sweet, and salty.  Here, we subbed the chorizo for Campo de Montalban cheese (similar to manchego) and an almond.  I tossed the almonds with olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika to add that spicy note, and I like the addition of the creaminess of the cheese.  It’s a great fusion of flavors, and a wonderful appetizer.

You might also like:

• Cheese Date Biscuits
• Cheese Straws

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates

We’ve tried these with Medjool dates, but they are a bit too sweet and moist. We like them better with more readily available (and cheaper) California dates.

20 pitted dates
20 blanched almonds
10 pieces of bacon
1/4 c cheese, such as manchego, Campo de Montalban, or goat cheese, in small chunks
cayenne pepper
smoked paprika
olive oil
salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Optional: Toss almonds with a bit of olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Don’t shirk on the spices; you want the flavor to come through in the final product. Toast for a few minutes, until barely beginning to brown. Let cool.

Stuff the dates with one almond and a few small chunks of the cheese. (You can probably just use the holes in each end of the date instead of cutting slits in them.)  Wrap each date in a half slice of bacon, and secure the ends with toothpicks.

Place the dates on a broiler pan.  Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes, turn, and bake for another 5 minutes or so, until the bacon is crispy.  Serve warm.

1 package Trader Joe’s sweet potato fries (these aren’t just frozen sweet potatoes, since they are already coated in some kind of oil or something, and maybe pre-fried)
1/2 t cinnamon, or to taste
1/2 t smoked paprika, or to taste
1/2 t salt, or to taste
1 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss (still frozen) fries with cinnamon, paprika, salt, and olive oil. Bake until crispy and browned, about 8-10 minutes. I like to eat them with barbecue sauce.