It was hot yesterday! 87 degrees in my corner of the garden. Well, at least my heat loving plants are enjoying themselves. Take these Thai chilies. They have been waiting all summer for this moment. They actually get spicier the longer they bask in the sun. I tried one a month or two ago, not hot yet. They are just smoking now! I bit into one and my whole mouth when numb from the heat. The Thai plant is especially large this year. I am calling it my pepper bush. It is taller than the bell pepper plants. I attribute that to the chicken poop we compost with and the hot summer we’ve had.
As I was poking around in the bush today, picking peppers, look what crawled out of the center and took a good look at me. A praying mantis! I have never seen one in the garden before. I don’t think they are indigenous to Northern California. And I thought they were green, not brown. Well, he was very cool. He checked me out while I studied him. He paused just long enough for me to snap this photo. I believe they are good at keeping pests away. Hey, he’s got my respect. He must be a tough dude if he lives in this hot Thai pepper bush.
I decided to string up some chilies and dry them. This is really quite easy. Just get a needle and thread, and string them up. Hang in a sunny spot for about a week or two. You really want them dry before you move them inside, otherwise they will become moldy and unusable. You can grind them up into powder, cut the seeds out and just use the seeds, or reconstitute the dried chilies in water and then use like you would a fresh chili. I must say that I prefer the fresh chili. I usually chop them up and add them to curries or stir fry. In Thailand, every house kitchen has a mortar and pedestal. They pound the chilies to make paste. This is the best way to make curry paste. I have never done it this way, maybe I will ask my husband for a mortar for Christmas. The stone mortars can be expensive but last forever. Here is a photo of what the chilies look like drying in the sun.
Now, what else is ripe that I can harvest to put in a curry? The Japanese eggplants are amazing, producing like a zucchini which is to say, never ending. They are mild, almost seedless, and the skin is so thin you don’t have to worry about peeling them. And they are beautiful, with hues of violet, lavender and dark purple.
Some green beans, a bell pepper, onions, handful of basil. I have a Kaffir lime tree, so I will grab some leaves from it. You can use the leaves like a bay leaf, when cooking curry. This is shaping up to be a lovely curry.
I have a great recipe from the cookbook Best of Regional Thai Cuisine, by Chat Mingkwan. I took his class at Sur la Table a few years ago, and just love some of the Thai dishes. Here is his recipe for Green Curry Chicken. It is almost like a soup, which you ladle over rice in a bowl. Now, like I said earlier, I do not make fresh paste, I buy some already made, and them add my fresh chilies like a condiment.
2 tablespoons of canola oil
3 tablespoons Green Curry Paste
2 cups diced chicken
3 cups coconut milk
2 cups diced Japanese eggplants
2 cups diced zucchini
1 cup diced red bell pepper
6 whole kaffir lime leaves
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 can chicken stock
2 sprigs basil
1/4 cup chopped Thai chili for garnish
fresh lime juice, 1 medium size lime
In a big pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add chili paste and cook until fragrant. (I added lemon grass chopped up and some ginger slices) Stir in chicken and cook with the curry, about five min. until beginning to brown. Add coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil. Add vegetables, kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, sugar and chicken stock. Continue to simmer for 7-10 min. until vegetables are done. ( I cover pot, and let it go on stove on low heat). Take off heat, then add fresh basil, fresh cilantro, and the juice of one lime. Serve with jasmine rice. Might want a cool beverage by you!
Sonoma Garden Girl 