Farm to Table, By Way of Thailand
There comes a time to be tired of the usual summer fare. For me that time is now. I am somewhat surprised with myself that, after so many months of waiting for sweet corn, ripe heirloom tomatoes, and deep purple eggplants, I could suddenly come to a point of tiring of the very thing for which I had longed. Then again, perhaps it is not the produce itself as much as the whole farm-to-table ethos of it all, preparing these foods as simply and unadulterated as possible. A tomato on a plate, a zucchini sliced, an ear of corn, does not a composed plate make.
Like many humans, I crave variety. Part of the pleasure in this season of produce is the choice. Tomatoes come in green zebra stripes and gnarled yellow masses. Eggplants show up in sizes ranging from golf balls to badminton rackets. There are yellow wax beans, red spackled cranberry beans, long flat Romanos, and of course, green beans.
Even then, the novelty can fade after one too many salads of lightly dressed, al dente veggies tossed with olive oil. Caprese salads, gazpacho, linguine studded with the leftovers of the vegetable bin--I’ve had enough. As much as I need variety in vegetables, I need creativity in preparation. To go with the intense flavors of the garden at its prime, I want jolts of spice, bites of ginger, zings of lemongrass. What I want is our bountiful American produce by way of South East Asia.
Even as cooking shows and restaurants adhere to simplicity tactics this time of year, an Asian twist on vegetables is not as farfetched as it seems. Curries, stir-fries, fragrant rice noodle soups, all these make bigger use of the greens, reds, oranges and purples of the vegetable kingdom than the pinks and reds of meat. But too often when we eat this way do we use the lowliest of vegetables in the bin.
Which got me to thinking, how much would it change a simple dish like Thai red curry if we actually gave the vegetables their due? What if, rather than using canned baby corn, I used fresh sweet corn from New Jersey? And instead of bulking out the curry with ubiquitous year round vegetables like carrots and celery, I used bright red peppers and long Japanese eggplant? Surely the fresh vegetables could elevate this standard dish to new heights if I sourced the very best.
Keeping in mind that the vegetables would be the star of this curry, I looked for a protein that would compliment and not overwhelm. Red curry is a natural combination for fish, most often with shrimp at the neighborhood Thai joint. I chose some fresh North Atlantic Pollack, a firm white fish that holds up well to a short simmer and strong flavors.
To give the store-bought curry paste an extra punch, I upped the flavor ante with extra garlic and slivered ginger, plus a couple of kaffir lime leaves for aromatics. Corn, Japanese eggplant, and bright red peppers were my vegetables of choice, but I could have easily added green beans, tomatoes, bok choy, or any number of the unusual vegetables available right now. Another month or two and the season’s first winter squash would be a lovely addition.
I used coconut milk thinned out with water to keep it light. In this dish the coconut should simply draw everything together without drowning.
Topped with sliced green onions and cilantro leaves, the dish was hot but not heavy, spicy and vibrant with bursts of vegetal notes in all corners of my mouth. It was a market-fresh curry by way Thailand. Now there’s a farm-to-table movement not likely to bore me any time soon.
Made with garlic, ginger, Japanese eggplant, onion, red curry paste, red bell pepper, corn, coconut milk, water, kaffir lime leaves
Serves/Makes: 4
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 piece (1 inch size) ginger
- 1 medium Japanese eggplant
- 1/2 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 ear corn
- 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 1 pound Pollack or other firm white fish
- salt and pepper
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced.
- cilantro sprigs
- Jasmine rice
Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat. Peel shallot and thinly slice into rounds. Fry shallots in oil until brown, working in batches. Drain on paper towels and reserve for garnish.
Meanwhile mince garlic. Peel ginger and julienne into matchstick size pieces. Add garlic and ginger to the shallot oil and saute for about two minutes until soft but not brown. Slice eggplant down the middle and cut into 1 inch half circles.
Add eggplant to wok and stir fry for 3-4 minutes tossing often. Add curry paste and stir for another minute. Cut pepper into one inch pieces removing and discarding the stem and seeds. Thinly slice onion. Add red pepper and onion to the wok. Let saute for 2-3 minutes. Mixture will be somewhat dry. Add coconut milk, water, corn, and kaffir lime leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Meanwhile, cut Pollack into bit sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Once the liquid in the wok is simmering, turn down heat to medium. Tuck fish into the coconut milk mixture. Put a lid on the wok and let simmer for 5 minutes until fish is just cooked through. Taste mixture and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
To serve, ladle curry over bowls of rice. Top with thinly sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, and crispy shallots.
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