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I wish I had taken a picture. Last night after observing the Vernal Equinox with a vigorous hike at the Middlesex Fells, I felt obligated to cook something light and summery.  I had thai bird chiles and brown beech mushrooms in my fridge, so I wanted to do something Thai.  It worked out well, so I’m posting it here.

The recipe is very nearly vegan.  You’d have to omit the fish sauce, but it would still be tasty.  If you don’t have access to a thai grocery you may not find bird chiles or brown beech mushrooms, but that’s okay.  You  can use any other small hot pepper, and any other culinary mushroom.  I imagine shiitake would work well.

Tom Yum Soup:

Materials:

2 cans coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock
2 thai bird chiles
a small hunk of fresh ginger, cut into ten discs
3 stalks lemongrass
A handful of thai (holy) basil
A handful of cilantro (optional)
1 lime
Some quantity of mushrooms that looks like enough
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar

Method:

Begin by doing violence to the lemongrass.  Smash it with a meat mallet, or if you don’t have one of those, use the flat back of a chef’s knife.  This releases the aromatic oils that will flavor your food.  After smashing, slice into slices two to three inches long.

Mix the coconut milk and vegetable stock in a medium to large sauce pan.  Add the lemongrass, ginger, and whole bird chiles.  Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.  Add the mushrooms immediately (they will cook in the hot liquid even though you have turned off the flame), and squeeze the lime juice into the soup.  Mix in the fish sauce and sugar.  Add the basil.  Serve hot or cold; garnish with cilantro immediately before serving.

Thai Salad

Materials:

A handful of green beans, washed, trimmed, and broken into bits
A cup or two of mung bean sprouts.
Another handful of holy basil
1 cucumber, julienned
3 more bird chiles
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, lightly chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 package tofu and oil for deep-frying, or buy fried tofu

Method

If frying your own tofu, do that first.  Immerse the tofu in 400 degree oil until it is brown and crispy on the outside.

While the tofu is frying you can make the dressing.   Begin by stemming and deveining the bird chiles.  Dice them and put them in a bowl.  Go wash your hands.  Right now.  Don’t touch your face.  That burning you feel all around your mouth and inside your nostrils?  It’s because you didn’t listen.  I told you not to touch your face!  Now go wash your face with lots of soap.

Once your face stops burning, return to the dressing prep.  Mince or press three garlic cloves into the same bowl as the chiles.  Now put a tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic and chiles.  Once everything is sizzling stir in the sugar.  When the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the peanuts.

Toss the vegetables together in a salad bowl with the dressing you just made, then top with the tofu and garnish with holy basil.  Go eat it outside!

Tags:   recipe · summer · vegan · vegetarianNo Comments