A friend asked in one of my group chats recently about how to scale a recipe for 15 portions down to 3. My brain immediately started trying to divide all the quarters and thirds and tablespoons and teaspoons by 5. (Shoutout to all the Kumon math alums, and our ability to think we’re human calculators long after we finish the program.)

While my brain was hurting itself, others were more helpful, posting links to sites that scale recipes down. It takes a little effort, and the results aren’t entirely reliable—from personal experience (TBD), I very much suggest that you not scale when baking, unless you’re an actual pro—but these sites can still help.

I forgot about that conversation, and the headache I gave myself, until yesterday, when I was searching for a way to use up a bunch of carrots that were starting to show their age.

Most recipes I found, however, were either roasted side dishes (not filling enough), or soups (too hot), or salads (usually too creamy). Then I came across this 2012 recipe from Food & Wine: Moroccan Carrot Salad with Spicy Lemon Dressing.

It was spicy, no cream in sight, seemed filling enough, and I actually had all the ingredients.

But it served 20.

TWENTY.

I do not have 20 people to feed (right now, my inner voice seems to remind me). And if this untested (by me or anyone I know personally, that is) recipe wasn’t a success, I’d have a hell of a lot of carrot salad on my hands.

I wanted to make enough for 4 people, but that was another divide-by-5 situation, which, let’s be honest, kinda sucks. So I weighed the carrots, because we adulted and now own a food weighing scale don’t you??

1 pound, exactly. Ok, then. We’re doing a divide-by-4. Which, in the world of cooking, is relatively easy to do.

Here’s the thing, though. While I’m a precise baker (TBD, but it’s really a very short story), I’m not a precise cook. We know this.

So I didn’t actually do all the math. I just took my 1 pound of carrots and turned them into a spicy, tangy, sweet, sharp, fresh, and surprisingly filling salad.

In true Me style, I veered away from the recipe pretty quickly: I added honey to lessen the sourness you get from the combination of lemon juice and harissa, cranberries instead of raisins (I prefer the sharper taste of the former, but also have a huge frickin’ bag of them to get through), and toasted pecans.

If you think I chose the pecans for how they complement the carrots or the honey or the feta, don’t. (Or do.) They were literally the first bag of nuts I saw and grabbed; it could’ve just as easily been walnuts, or almonds—ooh—that made their way into the salad. Both of which, for the record, are equally fantastic options, I think.

If you’re truly interested in the recipe, particularly one that’s scaled down to accommodate 4 people rather than a shouldn’t-be-having-a-party-during-a-pandemic party, keep scrolling down for my first ever recipe-writing attempt.

Which includes a tweaked vinaigrette. I once read over at Food52 that you just need the right ingredients when it comes to making your own vinaigrette, and then you can keep playing with the proportions till the sun comes down (or you run out of something, I guess).

So, have at it. You can’t really go wrong.

HARISSA & HONEY CARROT SALAD

Serves: 4.
Cooking time: 45ish minutes + chill time
Recipe adapted from Susan Feniger’s “Moroccan Carrot Salad with Spicy Lemon Dressing” from Food & Wine.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp harissa (plus more, to top)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tsp honey
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 lb carrots, washed, peeled, and grated
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup cranberries (optional)
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)

Method

1. Mix the harissa, lemon juice, EVOO, honey, salt, and pepper well in a medium-sized bowl. Adjust taste to your personal preferences.
2. Add the carrots and 1/2 cup feta to the dressing. Mix well. Then, chill in the fridge until serving.
3. When ready to serve, top with the remaining feta, parsley, cranberries, and pecans.

Notes

• The cooking time really depends on how long it takes you to grate carrots. I take forever, but if you want to speed things up, the OG recipe suggests dumping the carrots in a food processor and going to town. Or, you know just buying pre-shredded carrots like a smart person.
• The honey’s there to add a sweet element, but feel free to leave it out if you’re not a fan, since the cranberries can do just as good of a job.
• Save the carrot tops and peels (as long as they’re clean and not going bad) for the homemade vegetable stock you’re going to want to brew up.