Harissa is a Moroccan-style hot sauce that you can create and use like any other bottled salsa, only better, healthier and oh-so-good! You can use your fresh peppers from your summer garden, or use dried peppers. Both give you a delicious sauce that is good on eggs, tacos, veggies, rice, beans… anything you want to “kick it up a notch” as Emeril Lagasse says! You can use the leftovers from making canna butter to add to the mix, or just add some cannabis and enjoy the spicy high!

• 4 ounces dried peppers or 8 ounces fresh peppers
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cannabis!

Optional seasonings:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway (any one or all three)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• lemon juice to taste

Pull the stems from the peppers, open them up, and remove the seeds. If you are using dried peppers, pour boiling water over them and let them soak for a half hour first.

Be careful not to touch your face while stemming and seeding, and wash your hands well after handling peppers. Otherwise you might suffer the same fate as Erik, who visited the restroom after seeding fresh hot peppers. . . . Well, the less said of the incident, the better.

Transfer the peppers to the bowl of a food processor or a mortar and pestle.

Add the garlic and salt.

Begin to process or grind.

Drizzle in the olive oil as you go. Don’t add much oil now, just enough to make a smooth paste.

If you wish, add the additional spices, mint leaves, and lemon juice, according to taste. Store the harissa in a jar.

Smooth the surface down and cover the surface with a layer of olive oil to help keep it fresh.

Restore this layer after each use. It will keep for a few weeks. Makes about 1-1/2 cups