Thursday, November 11, 2010

Week 25 -- November 11, 2010

I can't believe this is the last week of my CSA! I'm bummed. Thanks to Blue House Farm for all the great fruits and veggies this season. And, thanks to Pie Ranch for the eggs. You may have noticed that I did not report the box for Week 24. Well, CSA girl spaced last week and forgot to pick up her box. I know! Isn't that crazy? I live for my CSA box. Well, it just shows everyone has their moments.

So, here is the final box for the season (drum roll please):


In this week's box: apples, arugula, brussels sprouts, chard, cilantro, early girl tomatoes, green leaf lettuce, olympic onions, radishes, red beets, and red bell peppers. Check in later this week to see what I make. And, check in with me during the winter. I have a couple of cooking projects I am going to post on this website. I want to learn to make bread and maybe pie. I also will be posting other recipes from veggies I get from the farmers market. So, please stay in touch!


Monday, November 1, 2010

Red Pepper, Radish & Zucchini Red Curry

When I saw this bunch of vegetables in my refrigerator I thought it was definitely time for some vegetables with red curry.



I was convinced that I couldn't make curry at home. Then, one day I was over at my friend Janie's house and she had this beautiful coconut curry cooking on the stove.


It is really simple. Just saute some onions, garlic, and ginger. Then, add whatever veggies you have. I used zucchini, summer squash, red pepper, and watermelon radish. I wasn't sure what would happen to the radishes when I incorporated them into this dish; but, they turned out sweet and tender. I always think of radishes as a vegetable that should be eaten raw; but, they tasted so good in this dish that I want to try them in some other recipes like stir fries.



I got a little fancy this time and made the sauce in a separate dish and then incorporated it with the veggies. I did this because I wanted to make sure that the red curry paste was mixed throughly with the coconut milk. You don't really have to do this. If you don't want to get more than one pot dirty then just add the red curry paste, coconut milk, and a dash of fish sauce to the pot with the veggies. I added a little brown sugar at the end to balance out the spiciness of the curry paste.



Garnish with some fresh cilantro and serve over basmati rice. Delicious! This is a great way to get a variety of vegetables into your body in one meal. It sounds impossible but this truly is healthy comfort food.

Red Pepper, Radish & Zucchini Red Curry

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of fresh ginger, minced
2 zucchinis, chopped
4 small summer squashes, chopped
3 watermelon radishes, peeled and chopped
4 small red peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon of red curry paste
kosher salt
1 15 ounce can of light unsweetened coconut milk
1 splash of fish sauce
1 -2 teaspoons of brown sugar
1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened. Add garlic and ginger cook until fragrant -- about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

2. Meanwhile, add red curry paste, coconut milk and fish sauce to a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.

3. Add the rest of the veggies to the pot with the onion, garlic and ginger. Add salt to taste. Cook until vegetables are softened. Add sauce and simmer for at least 20 minutes. This can simmer over low heat for up to an hour. Add brown sugar to taste. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over basmati rice.