Green Thai Curry

What do you do with a bunch of hot peppers?  You make spicy Asian food for a week, thats what.

There was a hard-frost-warning in Mississippi the other night so my Rooster Spur Peppers got picked all at once.  The Rooster Spur Pepper is an heirloom variety, grown by the Ainsworth family of Laurel Mississippi for more that 100 years.  They are traditionally used to make Rooster Spur Sausage but work great in stirfrys, chilies, and curries.  I assume that most of you do not have access to Rooster Spur Peppers, so just substitute your favorite hot pepper.

For Day One: Green Thai Curry.  I used a blend of vegetables, but if you would like a non-vegetarian version simply saute some thinly sliced chicken, pork, or steak and add to the curry along with the coconut milk, heating through before serving.    

Thai Green Curry

1 can coconut milk

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce (this can be omitted)

3 teaspoons green curry paste, homemade or store bought.

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic diced

2 tablespoons shredded ginger

3 carrots sliced

1 red bell pepper cut into ½ inch by 1 inch pieces 

½ lb sugar snap peas sliced in half

½ lb shiitake or button mushrooms sliced 

½ tablespoon any hot pepper, diced (more or less to taste)

3 tablespoons shredded basil

In a medium sized mixing bowl add the coconut milk, the sugar, fish sauce, and the curry paste.  Whisk to combine

Over medium heat, warm the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan.  Add the garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant and golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Add the ginger and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Add the the carrots and cook for 5 minutes; then add peppers and cook for an additional 3 minutes.  Finally, add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute longer.  Pour in the coconut curry broth and add the hot peppers.  Bring curry to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the curry with shredded basil and serve over rice.