Coconut Red Curry Summer Vegetables

The summer crops just keep on rolling in with the waves of heat and moisture. Some of these items, such as the cucumbers patiently awaiting their transformation into canned bread and butter pickles, have been set aside for a specific cooking project. Others, however, are usually prepped and cooked up, on the fly, into a quick and satisfying stir fry, a plate of buttery, sauteed veggies, or a creamy coconut curry. Inspired by a favorite cookbook of mine and a recent evening out, I decided to put almost all of my CSA goodies to use in the following entree-style dish.

Coconut Red Curry
Summer Vegetables

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4+ cup oil (I used walnut)
• 2-3 Asian eggplants, sliced into thick pieces
• 1 pint okra, sliced lengthwise, OR 1 pint green beans (or a combo!)
• 2-4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely-grated
• 1 medium onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 green or red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, sliced into thin rounds
• 2 cups green or yellow summer squash(es), sliced into quarter-inch rounds
• 1 tomato, sliced into half-rounds
• 1/2 of 1 jalapeno OR Serrano hot pepper, thinly-sliced (optional)
• 1 can of unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 tbsp red curry paste 
• 1 tbsp sugar (optional if you prefer a sweet sauce)
  
• zest of 1/2 of a lime, finely grated
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, coarsely-chopped (optional, not shown)
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or basil, finely chopped

Directions:

In a medium frying pan, heat 2+ tablespoons oil over medium-high heat; when hot, carefully add prepped eggplant and okra, and fry for 1-2 minutes or until the veggies have some browning. Quickly remove from the pan and place on a paper napkin or parchment to sop up extra oil; set aside.

Again in a medium pan, heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, and bell pepper, sauteing for about 2-3 minutes. While doing so, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, sugar (if using), lime zest, and bay leaf in a small bowl; set aside. Add the carrots to the pan, saute another 2-3 minutes, then add the squash, tomato, and hot pepper, sauteing for another minute or so. Turn up the heat, add the coconut milk mixture to the pan, and bring to a simmer; cook until the carrots are fork-tender, somewhere between 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the eggplant, okra, lime juice, and cashews, if using; gently stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, as needed, garnish with prepped herbs, and serve immediately.

Goes very nicely with quinoa and rice!


Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2012). Recipe inspired by Didi Emmons' "Entertaining for a Veggie Planet."

Asian Stock & Simple Soup

So it was too good to be true (the incredibly warm weather we just experienced, that is). Like a touch of summer to be relished amidst the transition from winter to spring, the heat came and went, and we are now back to the reality of chilly springtime weather in New England. Which isn't so bad if you have the right supplies on hand.

For me, getting through the cooler, typically-soggier days of March, April, and early May in anticipation of warmer weather means making soup. Meat or vegetable-based, hearty and chunky or light and brothy, I try to do a little bit of everything. With some Napa left over from making kimchi and a bunch of cilantro and Thai basil needing to be used, I set out to create a Asian-inspired stock and a simple, light soup of cabbage, mushrooms, scallions, and noodles. Consider adding little shrimps, cubes of tofu, or shelled edamame for a protein-boost.

Asian Stock
Makes (a little over) 2 quarts

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon of water
• 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
• 3 medium onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and crushed
• 6 stalks of celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 10 oz mushrooms
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 small bunch of cilantro, leaves & stems
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 peppercorns
• salt to taste

Directions:

Throw all of the ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, for about 3 hours; stir occasionally and add more water if necessary. Turn off the heat, allow it to cool for 15 minutes, and then strain out solids using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander. Transfer the stock into airtight containers; store it in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.

Simple Soup

Makes about 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp oil (I used walnut)
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 2 cups Asian cabbage, thinly sliced (can substitute cooking greens like kale, tatsoi, or mustard greens)
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced (I used a blend of shiitake & oyster)
• 1 quart Asian stock
• 1 cup al dente soba or cellophane noodles (cooked with whole Thai basil leaves for extra flavor)
• 4 scallions, chopped (can substitute spring onions)
• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• soy sauce/salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a pot with oil and garlic over medium-low heat until fragrant. Turn up the heat and add the cabbage; saute for a minute, then add the mushrooms and saute one more minute. Add the stock, noodles, and the white part of the scallions to the pot and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro and green parts of the scallions. Serve with fresh Thai basil, sliced lime, sriracha, and fish sauce on the side. Just like the stock, store it in airtight containers in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.


Rebekah

Image by Rebekah Carter (2012).

Ginger-Garlic Lentil Soup

For Massachusetts residents, the month of April brings about many simple pleasures: continued seed starting (or visits to seedling sales like those at Waltham Fields), garden bed preparation and planting, the return of Red Sox-everything, the blossoming of trees and perennial flowers, Marathon Monday, and those few, sporadic days of unseasonably warm weather that tease us with visions of summer. Much as those days entice many to throw on tank tops, shorts, and sandals long before it seems truly appropriate, warm April days still leave us with chilly evenings and nights, never mind the more frequent rain showers we tend to experience. And so I share with you my recipe for a bold and delicious lentil soup, featuring freshly-grated ginger and garlic to help keep you in good health during our seasonal transition from the cold to the warm.

Ginger-Garlic Lentil Soup

The Ingredients:
(approximations for 6-8 servings; adjust to your needs and tastes)

• 1/2+ c carrots, diced
• 1/2+ c celery, diced
• 3/4+ c onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic, finely grated
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp ginger, finely grated
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 c fenugreek, dry or fresh, chopped
  
• 2-3 tbsp preferred fat (I recommend chicken schmaltz if you have it; butter or oil work fine, too)
  
• hot red pepper flake (optional)
• 3+ tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
  
• 1 1/2 c dry brown lentils (more or less depending if you want a thick/thin soup)
• 1 bay leaf (if not used in your stock)
• 1/8-1/4 c vinegar (white, red, or apple cider work well)
  
• 2 1/2+ quarts (80 fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock (click here to learn how to make your own)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• dash of white pepper
  
• salt to taste
  

How to Make it:

In a large stock pot over low heat, sweat your mirepoix veggies, garlic, ginger, cilantro, and fenugreek in your preferred fat (you should barely hear your veggies hissing as they are cooking). After your veggies have softened (about 8-10 minutes), add your hot red pepper flake (if using), curry, cumin, and coriander powders, mixing well; cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes. Add your dry lentils and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add your bay leaf, vinegar, mustard, pepper, and stock; give the pot a good stir and check if you need to add more salt. Cook over medium-high to high heat just until the soup begins to boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils become tender, about 30-40 minutes. Garnish with some fresh scallion and enjoy!


My Two Cents, in no particular order:

When making this soup, I had an open bottle of pinot noir on hand, so I did half red wine vinegar and half straight-up red wine (a good splash of each, about a 1/4 c total). Beer might work well, too, but I haven't tried it for this soup! For the garlic and ginger, I used a grater-zester, which results in a paste; if you like to have little garlic and ginger chunks in your soup, by all means forgo this step and simply mince these ingredients. An easy way to remove the skin from ginger is to scrape it off with a spoon. Mustard is a great flavor-enhancer for most soups, but should be used with discretion; you really shouldn't be able to taste the mustard! So add it little by little, say a 1/4 tsp at a time, giving the pot a good stir and tasting the soup as you go. And as with all dishes and soups, it's recommended that you add salt with each new ingredient (or group of ingredients) to best draw out their flavors. However, depending on the saltiness of your stock, you may want to add less or more. It's a good idea to taste the stock before starting your soup if you are unsure of its sodium content. If you couldn't tell by now, continuous sampling is an essential part of preparing successful meals!

Rebekah

Recipe and images by Rebekah Carter (2011).