Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Add onion and spices and saute a few minutes, until onion is golden. Add bell peppers and winter squash and saute 2 more mintues. Add tomatoes and salt and 1-2 cups water and cook, partially covered, until the squash is almost tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add zucchini, fresh garlic, and chickpeas and cook, partially covered, until zucchini is tender, about 5-7 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and finish with fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with couscous, optional spicy sauce, and yogurt with grated onion and freshly chopped mint on the side.

Optional Spicy Sauce: A teaspoon of this on the tagine is delicious: Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2-2 teaspoons ground cayenne and 1 clove garlic, finely minced. Gently warm over low heat in a small saucepan until garlic is golden. Remove from heat before garlic crisps.