I’m having a love affair with summer crops. It’s such a nice change from the depths of winter – even though we are lucky to have a year-round farmer’s market in our part of London – to see more fruit than just apples and pears. There have been some particularly wonderful berries this year, and more recently, peaches and plums. I know this won’t last, so I’m hanging on to every sweet moment.

But it’s not just about the sweet stuff. Courgettes aka zucchini are around in abundance in all shades of yellow and green. Last week, we picked up 6 small ones, but this week we bagged 3 huge ones. I love that. Seeing how the crops change week to week and altering your meals accordingly.

So we made use of these different courgettes in two very different ways. The first, a spicy Thai curry for dinner. The second, a classic Zucchini Bread but with some healthy and vegan substitutions. Whichever way you use them, make sure to snap up a few before the summer is over. Which, here in England, it feels like it already is!

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last night, i made thai red curry with vegetables. but technically, it was yellow. hard to say. but i distinctly remember following a red curry paste recipe, from my “go-to” reference book in the kitchen, bittman‘s how to cook everything. (buy at amazon uk / buy at amazon us). the simple fact is that coconut milk dilutes the strong colors found in the homemade curry paste. i made a green thai curry from scratch a few months ago, and that also looked more yellow than green. i blame it on the lemongrass.

even though i know it is just so easy to buy a little jar of thai curry paste these days, it takes all the fun out of preparing your own. and this way you can control how spicy it is or how strong the flavors are. i didn’t use as exotic ingredients as last time, meaning i didn’t have to go to a specialist thai supermarket just to make dinner. that is a huge plus. although i did happen to have some wonderful brown rice noodles in the cupboard that i strongly suggest you try. they were king soba organic brown rice & wakame noodles (extra bonus minerals!) and hold up their consistency so much better than your average white rice noodles. seriously, seek these out.

the curry itself was so simple to make and versatile in its contents. i went with a variety of vegetables – chicken or tofu wouldn’t go amiss here though. the piece de resistance came in the form of purple kale leaves, torn up and stirred through during the last minute of cooking. i picked up some up at the farmers market last weekend and not only did it add wonderful color, it also boosted the nutritional profile of this curry by a million. kale or spinach is mandatory in this dish – i refuse to let you cook it otherwise.

thai curry with vegetables & kale

serves 4

the particulars:

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large red chili pepper, roughly chopped (seeds included)
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 stalk lemongrass, peeled and chopped
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp coriander stalks, chopped
• 4 tbsp groundnut/peanut oil
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/2 cans coconut milk
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 8 pieces baby corn
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and chopped
• 4 large mushrooms, chopped
• large bunch of kale or spinach, washed and torn
• optional: 4 chicken breasts, chopped; 2 cups firm tofu, chopped
• 1 handful fresh coriander leaves
• juice of 1 lime

1. first, make the curry paste. toast the cumin seeds for a minute or two in a frying pan over high heat. then combine them with the chili pepper, lime zest, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, and coriander stalks in a food processor. whiz for a couple of minutes, then drizzle in the oil until a smooth paste consistency is reached.
2. transfer the paste to a large skillet or saucepan and turn the heat on medium-high. add the shallots and carrots and cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes. (if also including chicken or tofu, cook them in a separate skillet at this point and transfer to the curry at the same time as the kale).
3. pour in the coconut milk and add the remaining vegetables (except the kale or spinach). cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is warmed through and softly coated with the coconut curry mixture.
4. add the kale/spinach at the last minute, stirring through. serve over a bed of brown rice or brown rice noodles. squeeze the lime juice on top and sprinkle over the coriander leaves.

one of my favorite things about curry is the depth of flavor. there are so many tiny changes you can make by using a different spice here or a few seeds there to make it taste incredible. and i guess that’s why i’m drawn to recipes by anjum anand, who comes up with fabulous indian creations that aren’t just your typical flavors. by picking one or two unusual spices, rather than just throwing in a couple of powders to a simmering pot, you can create something really special.

so i was eager to try what she named “simple spinach and lentil curry” – as i knew it would be anything but simple. it is essentially a dal, something i’ve certainly made before, only with a burst of flavor in the form of toasted cumin seeds and huge pieces of garlic, as well as some wonderful ginger and wilted spinach. this is not your average lentil curry.

however, i was unable to track down the yellow mung lentils she calls for in the original recipe, so i used red lentils instead. tasted virtually the same (i am willing to bet) but it meant that the cooking times and water amounts weren’t quite right, so i ended up with about half the volume in the end. the shrinking lentils! it was a shame too, because out of the two curries i prepared last night, this was the firm favorite.

also, taking the time to puree your own tomatoes brings a sense of pride – you don’t need a can opener to prepare this dish, but you do need a food processor or blender! but just think of the added benefits you’ve won from having fresh tomatoes in your curry. all those vitamins and minerals!

i’ll definitely make this again for phil and i – it’s a warming and wonderful curry for a chilly night in.

simple spinach and lentil curry

recipe adapted from anjum anand in the times; serves 4

the particulars:

• 3/4 cup lentils (red or yellow)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 1 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tomatoes, pureed
• 7 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, cut into large chunks
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp garam masala

1. place the lentils, 3 1/2 cups of water, ginger, chili flakes, and turmeric in a pan. bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
2. stir in the tomatoes and cook for a further 20 minutes, then add the spinach and a pinch of salt. cook for another 10 minutes or until the lentils have started to break down and the curry comes together.
3. meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan and add the cumin seeds and garlic. allow the cumin to redden and the garlic to start to brown. stir in the coriander and garam masala, then pour the mixture into the lentils. cook for another minute, then serve.

okay everyone, it’s time to get serious. because for some reason, i have advanced to round two of project food blog on foodbuzz! thank you for voting – it’s all very exciting, but i’ll definitely need your help again in order to proceed to round three, so starting tomorrow – please vote

this post’s guidelines involve cooking a “classic” dish from another culture, using ingredients you may not be familiar with. as they only allowed us 48 hours to come up with the dish and publish a blog post about it, i wasted no time and began brainstorming ideas on friday night as phil and i sat on the train home from central london. i knew that i wanted to make something i’d never made before, something that uses unusual ingredients (but that is easily – and typically – made with shortcuts) that would certainly require some effort on my part.

and after finding some inspiration in the guardian once again, i decided to try my hand at thai green curry, using authentic ingredients. i researched a few different thai green curry recipes around the web to find out which ingredients were absolutely essential, and which aren’t completely necessary. the list i made was short, but not filled with things you’d find in your average supermarket. luckily, some more googling alerted me to a small thai supermarket not too far from my house! living in london has its perks, i’ll tell you.

my shopping list included:

• lemongrass
• galangal root
• thai basil
• fresh coriander
• small shallots
• jasmine rice
• creamed coconut
• tiny green bird’s eye chilis

my list DIDN’T include:

• chopsticks
• penang curry paste
• wakame

but i bought them anyway the store was small but incredible! i’ll definitely be stopping by next time i make any asian dish. they’ve got it all, and for a fraction of the price of a regular supermarket’s specialty items.

if you’re not based near a thai or asian supermarket, i’d recommend purchasing the harder-to-find ingredients online. one such place here in britain is raan thai. in the states, try my thai mart.

the recipe below could work for a thai green curry involving a variety of proteins: chicken, fish, tofu, pork. but we decided to go the vegetable route and stick to some seasonal veggies – pumpkin, aubergine, and mushrooms. very earthy, autumnal ingredients to go in the hot and spicy curry. you may notice two ingredients that aren’t strictly vegetarian (since phil and i both eat fish) – fish sauce and shrimp paste. these two add saltiness and depth to the curry. if you don’t eat fish, feel free to substitute some soy sauce (i hope you’re not soy-free!) and tamarind paste to bring a little something special to your dish.

we love to make curry here – and they all usually start in the same way. we typically cook up an onion, some garlic, and a blend of spices to start off a curry. it couldn’t be easier!

if you’re not sure about curry, or have never tried making it before, don’t feel overwhelmed! the spices you use are generally not that difficult to find. and to try and tempt you some more, there are plenty of health benefits to a wide variety of your everyday kitchen herbs and spices. but for the sake of this post, i’d like to address some of the more common indian spices that i used in the recipe found below. and after seeing how beneficial they are, you’ll want to grab them and cook up a curry yourself tonight!

cumin - not only is it found in most indian dishes, it is also widely used in mexican and middle eastern cooking. in the dish below, the cumin is part of a spice mix called garam masala. cumin seeds (usually ground up to be used in curries) contain a great amount of iron, which gives you lots of energy and keeps your immune system functioning properly. it also promotes good digestion and has anti-carcinogenic properties. enough reasons for you to use it?

coriander – cilantro is the name for the herby plant that we use to adorn curries in the states, but here in the uk it is called coriander. however, the seeds are called coriander worldwide. and the goodness they bring is outstanding! coriander is known as the “anti-diabetic” plant because of its ability to lower the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase the levels of HDL (good cholesterol). not only does it pack in tons of phytonutrients, it contains good levels of iron, fiber, magnesium, and manganese.

mustard seeds – part of the brassica family of plants, mustard seeds aren’t just used to make mustard. as seeds they provide a wonderful flavor to curries. they also benefit our wellbeing because of their phytonutrients, and high levels of selenium and magnesium. all this means is that you’re getting protection from nasty inflammatory diseases and cancer.

turmeric – i’ve definitely saved the best for last here! the list is endless of the health benefits that come from using turmeric in your cooking. to summarize, here’s a brief breakdown of how it can help you: anti-inflammatory, treats ibs, relieves rheumatoid arthritis, prevents cancer, helps cystic fibrosis sufferers, inhibits cancer cell growth, improves liver function, protects the heart, lowers cholesterol, and protects against alzheimer’s. phew!

with all of that in mind, here’s a wonderful and simple dish that uses all of the above spices, some delicious salmon, and a little tlc to create a fragrant, curry-like fish wrap. the recipe comes from a wonderful chef, anjum anand.

all weekend and the beginning of this week, i’ve been feeling as though i’m coming down with a cold. you know that feeling you get in the back of your nose and throat? when it’s kind of scratchy and sore? that’s how it’s been for 4 days. but luckily (knock on wood) it hasn’t gotten any worse. still, last night, i wasn’t really in the mood to make an elaborate meal for phil and i. it was the perfect time to try out the sainsbury’s freefrom thai green curry sauce that was in my goodie bag from the freefrom dinner party a few weeks ago.

it was the perfect amount for the two of us, mixed with some thinly sliced red chilis, some cooked and peeled king prawns, and a spritz of lime juice.

now, ordinarily i find that thai curry sauces are usually okay for those of us with dairy, egg, and soy allergies. occasionally, they might add some soy sauce (rare) – or crack an egg on top. but with the abundance of coconut milk in thai dishes, and the use of fresh vegetables and loads of yummy spices, it’s normally pretty safe.

the thing i do like about this packaged sauce is its ingredients. check it out:

Water, Coconut Cream (13%), Green Chilli, Garlic, Cornflour, Sugar, Galangal (2%), Ginger Puree, Lemongrass (1%), Sea Salt, Lime Leaf (1%), Coriander

(from sainsbury’s online)

i recognize all of those things!

the other good thing about this sauce is that it is VEGAN. there is no fish sauce (another common ingredient in thai curries) – while phil and i both do eat fish, this would be really helpful for someone who wanted to do a tofu or veggie green curry (and didn’t want to bother with making their own sauce).

my only criticism is that there is an overwhelming garlic flavor to this sauce. it almost takes away from what is an otherwise perfectly good curry. sooooo i’ll give it 4 out of 5 stars!

here is our final product, served with a huge mound of brown basmati rice:

simple!

it’s good to challenge yourself in the kitchen. some recipes are pretty straightforward, but if you can add something to the mix that’s unusual or beyond your comfort zone, all the better. case in point: dinner last night. on the menu was a simple lentil curry (sort of a dal but not really) involving root veg and red lentils – a side of brown rice – and that was it. so to mix things up, we decided to try our hand at cooking up poppadums and not using a ready-made variety. hmmmm.

here’s what we should have done:

but instead we followed the weird instructions on the packet that said something about being healthier and cooking them directly over an open flame. we used one of the hobs on our stove, thus burning the poor little poppa to smithereens. another suggestion involved the microwave. with a paper towel and some oil. another ignition, another burnt poppadum. we gave up after 3 failed attempts.

next time: go the unhealthy route and cook them properly in hot oil!

ah well. plenty of leftovers for lunch today, so i’m not too concerned about a lack of crackers.

easy-peasy lentil curry

from 101 best ever curries

the particulars:

• 2 tbsp veg oil
• 2 medium onions, cut into rough wedges
• 4 tbsp curry paste (we used store-bought medium heat curry paste… the shame)
• 1.5 pints vegetable stock
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• a handful of raisins
• a handful of roughly chopped fresh parsley

1. heat the oil in a large pan. add the onions and cook for about 8 minutes. stir in the curry paste for a minute, then pour in a little of the stock so it sizzles. pour in the rest of the stock.
2. stir in the vegetables, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. add the lentils and simmer for a further 20 minutes, or until cooked.
3. season the curry, toss in the raisins and parsley, then serve with brown rice or poppadums and mango chutney or naan. yum.

lesson learned: this curry has a lot of liquid in it, in order to properly cook the vegetables (which can be any root veg by the way, not just carrots and sweet potatoes). so make sure to strain a bit before serving.

well i’ve had an interesting morning! last night i did something bad to my big toe – i iced it up when i got home, but it hurt more than ever when i woke up this morning. and because i’m a huge worrier, i decided to take myself to the hospital, just to make sure it wasn’t broken. and of course – after an hour and a half of waiting rooms – it isn’t broken. but at least now i know! i can hobble around the flat with peace of mind. and i’ll be hobbling to the shops later to pick up cupcake cups. it’s a beautiful image, isn’t it?

speaking of beautiful images… the photo from the sainsbury’s dinner i promised has already arrived!

pak choy + hairnet + lab coat = yikes. so much fun though!!

other news of interest:

• one of my fave blogs, gluten-free soy-free vegan, has a short post about soy lecithin. i find this subject pretty interesting to those of us with a soy allergy or intolerance, so go and check it out if you’re curious.
• my old pal jutta (the acupuncturist who diagnosed my food intolerances in san diego) has a cleanse regime planned for 2-3 weeks in march. if i lived in san diego and/or had access to the products and herbs she mentions, i’d totally join in. check out all the details here. i’d highly recommend participating if you’re feeling a bit sluggish or think you may have allergies/intolerances.

right, on with dinner. this seems like so long ago, but it was super tasty and worth talking about. although i found the recipe in the 101 best ever curries book, it is more of a stir-fry than a curry. i absolutely love the combination of sweet and spicy here – all totally adjustable based on individual taste. give it a try if you’d like some interesting flavors on your table for dinner! we served ours with leftover toasted baguette, but obviously some naan or chapatis would be better.

tamarind chickpeas

serves 2

the particulars:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 red chili, finely chopped (keep seeds too if you’re after fire)
• 2-3 tsp muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1/2 bag baby leaf spinach

1. heat the oil in a pan, fry the fennel seeds for 10 seconds, then add the onion and cook gently for 8-10 minutes.
2. mix in the tomatoes, chilis, sugar, paprika, turmeric, and chickpeas. bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. stir in the tamarind and coriander. add the spinach leaves and stir gently until they’ve just wilted.
3. serve with naan or chapatis and yogurt (to cool down the spices if you wish).

lesson learned: before serving, drain out some of the excess liquid. this dish benefits from a good strong simmer to reduce down the liquid.

i reorganised my spice cabinet yesterday. it needed it. i realised this when i was looking over a recipe and didn’t remember which spices i actually had – so i made a nice list of everything and taped it to the inside of the cabinet door. solved!

then i got to work on a really simple and fragrant fish curry – it uses loads of whole spices and yet isn’t spicy at all. i recommend only making this if you have FRESH fish. i picked up some fresh pollock fillets at my local fish shop yesterday and it was beautiful.

this is modified from an anjum anand recipe that i found in delicious magazine. this happens to be the perfect amount for two.

fragrant coconut fish curry

serve over your favourite type of rice – i used a wild rice blend.

the particulars:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 5 black peppercorns
• 7 curry leaves
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 2/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 white fish fillets (pollock or cod?), skinned and cut into large cubes

1. heat the oil in a pan. add the cinnamon, cloves, mustard seeds and peppercorns, and cook until the mustard seeds start to pop. add the curry leaves and the onion and cook until soft. add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute, adding a splash of water if it looks too dry. add the turmeric and season with salt.
2. add 1/2 cup of water and simmer for 7 minutes until reduced. add the coconut milk, bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. adjust the seasoning and check the amount of sauce in the pan. it should be creamy but not thick; add more water if too thick.
3. stir in the lemon juice, then add the fish in 1 layer and gently simmer for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. when cooked through, serve over rice.

lesson learned: the key to this is the fresh fish. a very nice, light and simple dish – we barely used the tiny bit of sauce left after serving the curry with a slotted spoon and still got all the nice flavours of the whole spices. be careful not to eat the whole cloves or peppercorns!

if you’re about to head out on the town on a saturday night, you need the proper fuel. something that will keep your energy up, so you can party all night long and rock ‘n roll with the rest of them. my friend suzanne came over for dinner last night, where i made two curries and phil made his onion bhajis with a new dipping sauce. we also had some chappatis and naan. perfect fuel! but we also had a couple of glasses of red wine. ENERGY FAIL.

we were like a couple of old grandmas at the rock show last night – it was really unfortunate! but we still managed to muster up enough energy to have a great time while it lasted

still, dinner was pretty good, i have to say. the veggie curry i made wasn’t so much a curry as a soup, so i served the veggies with the liquid strained away – it was even less like a curry by the time it reached the plate. but it had curry powder in it, so i’m still calling it a curry. say curry more.

other elements to the meal: a third dal from mark bittman, and i’d rank this one second out of all three. i still have two more to try, but i don’t see either of them beating the clear winner.

also, phil made up some lovely onion bhajis and put together his own dipping sauce, which was tangy and delicious. i don’t have a recipe for you, but it did involve goat’s yogurt (obviously you could substitute here with plain or soy yogurt), lemon juice, mint leaves, mango chutney (yep, just the good stuff from a jar), and turmeric. he’s a culinary genius!

but onto the main course….

puy lentil dal with curried root vegetables

find the dal recipe here at the ny times website

the particulars:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• veg stock
• salt and pepper
• madras curry powder
• red chili flakes (optional)
• fresh coriander/cilantro leaves to serve

1. in a large pot, fry up the onion and garlic in a little olive oil.
2. add 2-3 tbsp of the curry powder and cook for a couple of minutes. add the chopped up veg and cook for 6-7 minutes, until slightly browned and softened.
3. add the veg stock until everything is just covered. cook for 15-20 minutes, until the veg is softened and cooked through. feel free to add more curry powder and some chili flakes to taste. season with salt and pepper.
4. strain and serve with lentils or rice and fresh coriander.

lesson learned: this curried vegetable recipe would also work as a standalone dish if you added lentils to the pot and cooked in step 3. the sweet potato makes this wonderfully warming and decadent. but it worked great alongside the french lentils in the dal, since that was such a simple dish.