1.  Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400F.

2.  Trim carrots. Cut in half lengthwise and, if they’re on the larger side, crosswise on a diagonal as well. Mix together olive oil, orange juice, orange zest, za’atar, and a few pinches of sea salt. Toss carrots in spice mixture and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 22-25 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Mix together tahini and lemon juice. Drizzle carrots with tahini mixture and sprinkle with feta, sesame seeds, parsley, and a pinch of freshly ground pepper.

These generously seasoned, sweet roasted carrots remind me that this vegetable can take on such a variety of spices. The Middle Eastern spice za’atar is typically a blend of thyme, sumac, and sesame seeds. While maybe not a spice blend you stock in your cupboard, it’s wonderful mixed into labneh or Greek yogurt for a dip, with greens, feta, and chickpeas for a side salad, or as a marinade for grilled kebabs. Or maybe you’ll be reserving it for a few batches of these savory roasted carrots. These make a great side for the Herbed Falafel Bowl (page 117), or they can be chopped into smaller pieces and tossed with some cooked quinoa for something a little more hearty.

I try to pick bundles of carrots on the smaller side so I only have to slice them lengthwise before roasting. Larger carrots work fine, just slice them crosswise as well to get manageable pieces on your roasting sheet.

Reprinted with permission from The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon by Sara Forte, copyright © 2015. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.