Thai Fresh Green Curry

Well, I don't know that I want to blog about food.  My job requires me to think about food way too often (there's breakfast, then second breakfast then elevenses.....).  However, I think that this time of the year cooking begins to get interesting because many things are not growing in many places.  A year or so ago I ran across this recipe in the book Real Vegetarian Thai .  I have told a couple of people about it and even promised the recipe to some... It is called:

Butternut Squash (OR OTHER VEGGIES) in Fresh Green Curry

This simple fresh curry paste takes only minutes to prepare.  It envelops sweet golden chunks of butternut squash  with a beautiful and savory green sauce in the time it takes the accompanying rice to cook.  Try making it with any prepared curry paste for an even simpler dish (see note).  (sarah's note:  I made it tonight with carrots, broccoli, green and red peppers--you can really put anything, including meat into this sauce.)

1 small butternut squash, about 1 1/2 pounds

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped shallots or yellow onion

1 tablespoon corsely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger

2 fresh green jalepeno chilies or 1 fresh green serrano chili (I omitted this because of tender palates...)

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup water

3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk (about 1 3/4 cups)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Trim off the stem and blossom end of the butternut squash.  Halve lengthwise and scoop out and discard the seeds and fibers.  Cut into large chunks and carefully peel each chunk.  Cut the peeled chunks into 1-inch pieces.  You will have about 4 cups.  Set aside.

In a small food processor or the jar of a blender, combine the shallots or onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, the 5 tablespoons water, ad 1/2 cup of the cilantro.  Grind until you have a faily smooth paste, pulsing the motor and stopping often to stir down the sides of the container and incorporate all the ingredients.  You will have about 1/4 cup bright green paste  Set aside.

Shake the coconut milk can well.  Spoon out 1/2 cup into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.  Cook stirring occasionally, until it thiickens and releases it sweet fragrance, about 3 minutes.

Add the curry paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, mashing scraping, and stirring until the paste is dissolved into the coconut milk and is heated through.  Add the remaining coconut milk, the remaining 1/2 cup water, the sugar, salt, and butternutsquash.  Raise the heat to haigh and bring he curry to a rolling boil.  Stir well, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil, and continue cooking until the squash is tender and the sauce is smooth and evenly colored a soothing green, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile cut all but a few of the basil leaves crosswise into thin strips.  When the curry is cooked, stir in te basil strips and the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.  Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl  Garnish with the reserved basil leaves and serve hot or warm.

SERVES 4 TO 6

NOTE: This recipe makes a moderately hot curry.  If you like your curries very hot, increase the amount of fresh chilies to suit your palate.  • To substitute prepared curry paste, omit curry paste ingredients, and begin by cooking 2 tablespoons prepared curry paste in the 1/2 cup coconut milk (start with ONE, if you don't like it too hot!!)  •  Butternut squash and other hard winter squash are a challenge to peel.  Use a chef's knife or a Chinese cleaver if you are handy with either one of these tools, or use a good paring knife, holding each chunk steady on your cutting board and cutting down along its side to remove the peel