Fresh Thai

This week I had another big batch of farm-fresh goodies: bok choi, shelling peas, cucumber, radishes, carrots, and rhubarb. I decided to make Thai curry. I used one of my trusty curry-paste cans from the Asian market, a yellow curry. First I aggressively sauteed half an onion, sliced, so that the edges got nice and brown. (Took those out of the pan to add back later, since I wanted them to keep some crunch.) Next step, chicken, sliced, sauteed until opaque. Then stirred in the curry paste, it’s oil-based and frying it brings out the flavor of the spices. Then I stirred in a can of coconut milk and some fish sauce. I have discovered that a good way to add root vegetables like potatoes and carrots to a curry is to roast them separately in the oven. So that’s what I did, just tossed with salt and a bit of oil.

My favorite kitchen toy recently has been the Camp Griddle that I got as a wedding gift from my grandparents. At the time, I was pleased since we love to camp. But I didn’t realize I would end up using it practically every time I cook or bake anything. The reason it’s so great is that it’s like a nonstick skillet in the shape of a baking pan. Nothing will stick to it, and one of my best tricks is oven-fried potatoes. With just a teaspoon of oil per potato, you get crispy, browned fries or hash browns. Yum. And it makes biscuits or cookies trouble-free (you have to bake them in smaller batches, but I only have 1 rack in my oven anyway.)

So, my curry was all arranged. I shelled the peas and stirred them in with the onions right before serving. These precious peas are the best I’ve ever had – they were sweet like candy. Luscious. I considered stirring the bok choi into the curry, but I hesitated. I was happy with the curry’s texture and didn’t want to throw it off… So, I decided to stir the bok choi into the steamed rice. I sliced it thin, as if it were cabbage or celery, and stirred it with the hot rice fresh from the rice cooker. A few minutes in the microwave helped get it just right – the stem slices were still crisp but the leafy greens were nice and wilted.

Earlier in the day, I had made a chopped salad for my Bible study ladies with the cucumber and radishes, plus some red bell pepper, red onion and cilantro with a lime vinaigrette. There was a bit of it left, and after I had ladled up the curry over the bok choi rice, I topped each plate with a bit of the radish “relish.”

Wow, that was the best Thai meal I’ve ever made! It tasted so fresh. I think the fresh organic veggies really made a difference, and it was really not a complex process. I guess it really supports the idea that the better your ingredients are, the less you have to do to them to get good results.

Oh, and the rhubarb – I made muffins. They came out well, studded with tart pink rhubarby goodness.