We relied on a “Try The World” box to take us to Morocco on a cold Indiana night. In texture, the meal was perfect to fight cold weather soft, creamy, stewed and warm spiced. In flavors, however, the meal invited early September to the plate, the few weeks between summer and fall, to the plate, the zucchini and the carrots were equally tender, the sweet onions and raisins complimented the heat of harissa. It was an unusual treat to have a hearty, flavorful yet light as cous-cous meal.

The orange blossom rice pudding was perfect in sweetness and texture. Around the table, we had mixed reviews about the floral quality of the dessert. The dessert may have needed to match the complexity of the tagine tastes. It felt a bit one-note after such a symphony of sweet and spicy.

I learned to use arborio rice for pudding, to marinate the chicken in harissa and spices before setting into the tagine on a bed of chopped onions and to overlay a mix of matchstick-sized vegetables.

Would make this again. Any season.