Sunday, July 28, 2013

Kitchen Sink Vegetable Curry (Farmer's Market #SundaySupper)

Farmer's markets and backyard gardens never cease to amaze me with their bounty. Even years when Mother Nature has been less than kind to the growing conditions (raining far too much or not at all, too hot or too cold), I can always find a bevy of delicious, local and fresh treats to bring into the kitchen with me. Granted, some of the stuff doesn't make it that far, but I always find space in the fridge for a fresh-picked pepper, plump July berries and a head or two of cauliflower or broccoli. Until my tomatoes come to fruition, the gorgeous orbs from our local farmers fit the bill nicely, as do the carrots. Garlic scapes are one thing that I snap up as soon as I find them in the markets as well, and I continue to buy handfuls of them until they're gone for the season.

It was this bounty of produce that inspired me to make today's #SundaySupper meal. The original inspiration came from the pages of The Four Season Farm Gardener's Cookbook, which featured a coconut milk based, "fall vegetable" Thai curry filled with cauliflower, onions and sweet potatoes. When Summer (and the associated good prices on fresh veggies) came, it began to evolve into a massive veggie-use up fest.

Alien!You see, as much as my mom and I adore all things not beige, our eyes at the markets are often bigger than our stomachs over the week and come grocery day we sometimes find ourselves with leftovers threatening to turn at any moment. That is especially the case when the garden starts producing, since it becomes impossible to predict what we'll need by week's end. I took stock of the fridge and pantry, grabbed a bunch of huge Vidalia onions my (ironically onion-hating) stepdad had bought at a fundraiser, traipsed out to the yard to raid my herb garden (and my Egyptian onion plant!) and got to work.

Just StartingI'm not going to lie - this curry is a long process. There is a goodly amount of chopping, peeling, cubing and stirring. I had to switch pots right at the beginning because the stockpot I thought would suffice (which I usually use for soup) proved much too small for the bevy of onion, and I thought I'd have to move to my canning pot when I tried to stir in the other veggies. Then comes the cooking time - the original recipe called for just 15 minutes - and I don't know of any "cubed" sweet potato that cooks without a microwave or superhuman powers in 15 minutes, especially at a "simmer". While the first part of the curry cooked down, the rest of the veggies got prepped, tofu was cubed (I pressed it in the morning) and I put some brown Basmati and wild rice on as an accompaniment (I know it's an odd combination with Thai curry but it worked!).

Being a stew, and somewhat spicy, you'd think it would have no place on our menu with the heat the way it's been. However, Thailand (as well as other nations known for spicy food) is a rather warm place - and the spice level of the curry with the heat of the day causes you to sweat - AKA cool down. Warm food also has a satiating power to it, which coupled with all the protein, fibre and nutrients in the dish mean that you can get by on less - hello bathing suits! Besides, in this day of air conditioning, my mom's office is frigid most days... meaning that anything warm is welcome... why not something healthy?

Thai Vegetable Curry

#SundaySupper this week is all about the haul from the Farmer's Market. It's hard to top fresh and local, and our group has really hit it out of the park this week with the offerings! Hosting this week is T.R. Crumbley of No One Likes Crumbley Cookies - Thanks TR!

Appetizers & Salads

Garlic Scape Dip from The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen
Onion Bacon Jam with Bread n' Brie from Gotta Get Baked
Kale & Pepita Pesto from girlichef
Garden Quinoa Salad from The Urban Mrs
Grilled Cherry Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad from Pescetarian Journal
Watermelon-Feta Salad with Pomegranate Drizzle from The Weekend Gourmet

 
Soups & Sides

Watermelon Gazpacho from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Classic Gazpacho from Curious Cuisiniere
Pea Soup from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Pickled Garlic Scapes from kimchi MOM
Cheesy Zucchini Hodge Podge from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Succotash from Magnolia Days
3 Easy Japanese Spinach Recipes from NinjaBaking.com
Michigan-Made Meal with Seasoned Potato Chips from Foxes Love Lemons

 
Entrees

Summer Veggie Pizza from Country Girl In The Village
Tomato Pie from The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
Kitchen Sink Vegetable Curry from What Smells So Good?
Margherita Pizza from Growing Up Gabel
Cheesy Zucchini Fritters from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Three Sauces with Summer Herbs to Transform a Simple Grilled Dinner from Cook the Story
Vegetable Quesadillas from Cookin' Mimi
Mushroom Scallion Risotto from Vintage Kitchen Notes
Lemony Summer Linguine with Grilled Vegetables from Neighborfood
Pasta alla Norma Nuda from Juanita's Cocina
Arugula Pizza from Family Foodie

 
Desserts

Peach Cobbler from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Coconut Cherry Bars from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Lightened Up Peach and Blueberry Cobbler from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Cherry Brandy Cobbler from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Peach Maple Ice Cream from Pies and Plots
Cherry Clafoutis from Food Lust People Love
Roasted Figs with Caramel, Honey Ice Cream and Aged Balsamic from Crazy Foodie Stunts
Peach Ice Cream Paletas from Basic N Delicious
Gluten Free Sour Cherry Cake from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter today! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Kitchen Sink Vegetable Curry
Serves 10, generously
12.3 oz (350 g/1 block) extra firm tofu (I used President’s Choice’s low fat extra firm)
4 cups premium, full-fat coconut milk (not the “milk alternative” kind), well shaken
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
½ tbsp Kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 ½ lbs peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
4 large Vidalia onions, sliced into half-moons
8 oz carrots, cut into thick “coins”
2 ½ cups chopped cauliflower (include the stems)
8 oz canned water chestnuts, drained
2 large zucchini, cubed
2 cups chopped broccoli (include the stems)
8 oz green beans, cut into 1” pieces
3 stalks green garlic, minced
3 green onions, minced (I used minced Egyptian onion)
5 cups cooked brown Basmati rice, for serving (I used a brown and wild rice medley, black rice would be awesome too)
Minced lime (or Thai) basil, for serving
  1. Drain the tofu and wrap well in a clean dishcloth. Place under a heavy weight and let stand at least 2 hours (basically while you’re preparing the rest of the curry).
  2. Combine the coconut milk and broth in a large, deep pot and bring to a simmer.
  3. Stir in the curry paste, Sriracha, salt and spices and cook 3 minutes.
  4. Add the sweet potatoes, onions and carrots. Cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Stir in the cauliflower, water chestnuts, zucchini and broccoli. Re-cover and cook 15 minutes).
  6. Stir in the tofu, green beans and green garlic. Cook (uncovered) until the vegetables are cooked and the liquid is reduced, about 15-20 minutes.
  7. Stir in the green onions.
  8. Serve over rice with minced lime (or Thai) basil.
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 454.4
Total Fat: 19.5 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 1,287.0 mg
Total Carbs: 53.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 8.4 g
Protein: 13.9 g

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