thai curry.

Fall has arrived, and I couldn't be more excited. I love this time of year. It's a reminder of all the exciting holidays coming up and a reminder of all your favorite warm clothes that have been waiting so patiently all summer. I have started dragging scarves and sweaters from boxes, and there is a (not so) neat little line of boots by the front door now. I even spent some time gathering fall leaves and berries for my classes last week, and Sam and I went up the canyon to see all of the colors. I remember when I first moved up here for school, I was just so in love. (This was obviously before the snow showed up.) In Texas we don't have color changing trees. I used to mail home leaves to my family, because I was so surprised at how many shapes and color a leaf could actually come in. Pretty soon the season will be gone, and I will be slipping on the ice every morning and cursing this state under my breath. But for now, it's a wonderland.

The chilly weather means that we are going to say goodbye to our little garden soon. But, we are trying to take advantage of these last few days of fresh produce. Last week we had some friends over for homemade margherita pizzas. We used fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden, fresh mozzarella, and pizza dough from this book. We have big plans for tomato basil soup, and as many different kinds of zucchini bread as we can come up with (chocolate, lemon, pumpkin!) We are also going to try our hand at freezing and canning some of it.

I thought I might share a quick recipe for Thai Curry--given to us by our good friend JJ, who picked it up from the lady at the Asian Market in Provo. So, it's the real deal. It's also a great way to use up some of that end-of-season produce, and warm up in the cool weather.

Thai Curry

This is a very easy recipe, and completely dependent on your personal taste. But, I tried to give you a few measurements.

2-3 c water

1 chicken bouillon cube

3 stalks lemon grass

10 lime leaves

1 inch galangal root (also known as Thai ginger)

1 can coconut milk

2 tbs Thai sugar (or regular sugar)

Thai Curry Paste

chicken, veggies, etc.

tapioca powder

jasmine rice

1. With the side of a knife, mash the lemongrass and root for steeping. Tear the lime leaves a little, as well.

2. Boil the water, bouillon cube, lemon grass, lime leaves, and galangal root for about 15 minutes in a covered pot.

3. While the broth is boiling, brown your meat and veggies. I use two chicken breasts and 3-4 small zucchini and squash cut into bite-size pieces. I also boil about 2-3 potatoes cut into bite-size pieces. But, you can use any meat, vegetables, or fruit that you want.

4. When the broth is done, remove the root, leaves, and grass.

5. Add the coconut milk and Thai curry paste. I usually use about 1/3 of a container of yellow curry (like this one). The amount of curry paste you use will determine how spicy the dish is. I would suggest adding a little at a time.

6. Add the sugar, and stir well.

7. Add the meat and veggies, stir, and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. If the curry seems a little too soupy, you can add some tapioca powder. I would add a spoonful at a time, until you get the desired thickness. Let it sit between spoonfuls, though.

8. Serve over jasmine rice.

To avoid hitting every grocery store in town, I would suggest getting online and finding the nearest Asian market. There is a great one here in Provo. Oh, and don't worry, they totally have a Facebook...

Let me know if you have any questions!