Green Vegetable Green Curry

I feel like I'm a day late and a buck short on this post. The idea to cook up a green vegetable green curry dish coincidentally came to mind just prior to March 17. And though I did prepare the meal on Friday and have been enjoying it all weekend long, here I am, telling you about it post-Paddy's Day. But all is not lost, my friends. This entree is quite versatile as far as veggie additions go, and is sure to be a staple in this house when all those summer tenders start to appear at the CSA stand. Though I did not, you can easily incorporate more protein, perhaps in the form of sliced chicken, beef, tofu, or shelled edamame, into this dish; just decrease some of the vegetable amounts to make room in the pan. I recommend serving the curry with brown rice.

Green Vegetable Green Curry
Makes about 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp oil (I used walnut)
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• 2-4 tbsp green curry paste (use judgement; flavor/sodium depend on brand)
• 2 scant cups asparagus or green beans, chopped
• 2 scant cups Asian (opo, fuzzy melon) or summer squash (zucchini, yellow), sliced
• 2 scant cups Thai eggplant, quartered (can substitute other dense variety)
• 1 cup bamboo shoots
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2-1 hot pepper, sliced (I used a whole jalapeno- pretty SPICY!)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• touch of finely grated lemon and lime zest
• 1 bay leaf
• salt or soy sauce to taste
• 1/4 scant cup Thai or sweet basil, chopped
• 1/4 scant cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high flame. Add the garlic and ginger, cook for a minute or so, and then add the curry, cooking another thirty seconds. Add your vegetables and saute for a few minutes; add the lime juice to deglaze the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, lime and lemon zest; add to the pan along with the bay leaf and turn the heat down to medium-low; allow the curry to simmer for about 15 minutes. Garnish with basil and cilantro.


Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2012).