THAI FOOD RECIPE - THAILAND
   EMARKETTHAILAND

The meal starts with an appetizer of citrus-scented crab salad mounded on cucumber slices. Its accompanying wine--a crisp Fume Blanc with citrus and tropical fruit notes--has a similar fresh quality. A sweet-tart noodle and chicken salad pairs perfectly with the round, smooth Chardonnay, with its lean acid and Gravenstein apple flavor. Coconut milk tempers the spices of the green curry fish, so it works with the cherry, smoky plum, and other flavors in the Pinot Noir.

This party also shows one of Hampton's dreams for the region at work. Sonoma County has long been home to a variety of crops, including apples, beans, and hops. In recent years, though, wine grapes have become the major crop. The community has had to work to maintain the agricultural diversity it values so much.

As a fifth-generation Californian, Hampton wanted his family winery to be "part of the solution, not the problem." So in 1999, he worked with a landscape contractor to produce a 3-acre Mediterranean food forest at Davis Bynum Winery. It's a natural, agriculturally diverse ecosystem based on permaculture principles, which rely on the interactions of landscape features and plants (see "Garden the Natural Way," opposite). In the sustainable garden--now cared for by consultant Ryan Meyers, owner of Tierra Viva Landscape Design--more than 400 culinary, medicinal, and forage crops thrive, beneficial insects abound, and wildlife is welcome.

The payoff is a gathering such as this, where organic vineyards provide grapes for the wines, and the permaculture garden and a small plot of Thai annuals produce the ingredients for a menu that puts an exciting new spin on East meeting West--one in which food, wine, lifestyle, and community harmonize with nature.

INFO: Davis Bynum Winery (8075 Westside Rd., Healdsburg, CA; www.davisbynum.com or 800/826-1073)


Crab Salad on Cucumber Rounds

PREP TIME: About 35 minutes

MAKES: 8 servings

NOTES: This citrusy crab salad on crunchy cucumber rounds makes a refreshing appetizer. You can prepare through step 3 up to 3 hours ahead. Cover crab mixture and lime-juice mixture separately; chill until ready to serve.

1 or 2 stalks fresh lemon grass (each 10 to 12 in. long) or 1
tablespoon grated lemon peel (yellow part only)
12 fresh or thawed frozen kaffir lime leaf sections (each 1 1/2 to 2
in. long) or 1 tablespoon grated lime peel (green part only)
1/3 pound shelled cooked crab
1/4 cup thinly slivered shallots
1 tablespoon finely shredded carrot
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh cilantro, fresh mint leaves, and
green onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Thai roasted-chili paste (purchased or homemade; see
page 118)
1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce or salt to taste
1 teaspoon sugar About 8 ounces English cucumber
1. Rinse lemon grass. Cut off and discard tough tops and root ends; peel off and discard tough outer green layers of stalks down to tender white parts. Finely chop enough to make 1/4 cup.

2. Rinse kaffir lime leaves. Stack three or four leaves at a time and cut crosswise into very fine shreds.

3. In a bowl, mix lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, crab, shallots, carrot, cilantro, mint, and green onion. In a small bowl, mix lime juice, chili paste, fish sauce (but not salt, if using), and sugar.

4. Just before serving, stir lime-juice mixture into crab mixture. If not using fish sauce, add salt to taste. Rinse cucumber and cut crosswise into about 24 rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Top each slice with a scant tablespoon crab mixture.

Per serving: 36 cal., 18% (6.3 cal) from fat; 4.4 g protein; 0.7 g fat (0.1 g sat.); 3.1 g carbo (0.5 g fiber); 84 mg sodium; 19 mg chol.

Glass Noodle Salad with Shrimp

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 40 minutes

MAKES: 8 first-course servings

NOTES: This colorful salad has a light, sweet-tart dressing punctuated by pickled garlic. The salad and dressing can be prepared through step 2 up to 1 day ahead; cover separately and chill.

6 ounces boned, skinned chicken breast
4 ounces dried bean threads (saifun) or dried angel hair pasta
6 ounces shelled cooked tiny shrimp, rinsed
1/2 cup slivered red onion
1/2 cup chopped pickled garlic (purchased or homemade; see page 118)
1/4 cup slivered red or yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
3 tablespoons liquid from pickled garlic
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar About 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce or about 1/2
teaspoon salt
5 cups baby arugula leaves or baby salad mix (5 oz.), rinsed and
crisped

1. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, bring 1 1/2 to 2 quarts water to a boil. Mean-while, rinse chicken; chop into 1/4-inch pieces. Add bean threads or angel hair pasta to boiling water and stir to separate; cook until barely tender to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chicken and cook just until chicken is white in center of thickest part (cut to test) and noodles are tender, about 1 minute. Drain noodles and chicken; rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly.

2. In a bowl, combine noodle mixture with shrimp, red onion, pickled garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, and green onion. In a small bowl, mix liquid from pickled garlic, lime juice, sugar, and fish sauce to taste.

3. Just before serving, combine dressing with noodle mixture. Divide arugula equally among dinner plates, or arrange all on a large platter. Mound glass noodle salad on or next to greens. Drizzle any remaining dressing left in bowl over arugula.

Per serving: 157 cal., 5% (8.1 cal.) from fat; 11 g protein; 0.9 g fat (0.2 g sat.); 27 g carbo (1 g fiber); 291 mg sodium; 54 mg chol.

Thai Green Curry Fish

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 40 minutes

MAKES: 8 servings

NOTES: A fragrant, vivid green sauce goes over baked fish fillets for this dish, and quick-cooked vegetables are a colorful garnish. You can make the sauce (steps 1 and 2) up to 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and chill. Reheat for use in step 6.

1 star anise or 3/4 teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 cup canned coconut milk Green curry paste (recipe follows)
1 3/4 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves or regular sweet basil leaves, rinsed
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
6 fresh or thawed frozen kaffir lime leaf sections (each 1 1/2 to 2
in. long) or 2 teaspoons grated lime peel (green part only)
3 pounds boned, skinned halibut or catfish fillets
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds green beans, rinsed and stem ends trimmed
1 red bell pepper (about 6 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and
slivered
2 teaspoons cornstarch
6 to 8 cups hot cooked brown or jasmine rice
1/4 cup finely slivered fresh basil leaves Salt and pepper
1. Break star anise into small pieces. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stir star anise or anise seeds, cumin, and coriander until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour spices into a blender and whirl until finely ground, or pour into a mortar and grind with a pestle.

2. Add coconut milk to frying pan; stir often over medium-high heat until milk is bubbly and fat begins to separate, 2 to 6 minutes (reduce heat if milk splatters out of pan). Add all the curry paste and stir until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 1/4 cups broth, ground spices, whole basil leaves, fish sauce, and sugar. Rinse kaffir lime leaves, tear each in half, and stir into sauce; set aside.

3. Rinse fish and pat dry; cut into eight equal pieces and arrange in a 12- by 16-inch baking pan. Drizzle oil over fish and turn pieces to coat; set slightly apart.
4. Bake in a 400[degrees] regular or convection oven until fish is barely opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), 10 to 15 minutes for halibut, 8 to 10 minutes for catfish.

5. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water to a boil. Add beans and cook until almost tender to bite, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, then drain immediately.

6. Just before fish is done, stir green curry sauce over high heat until hot again. In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/2 cup broth with 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Add to hot curry sauce and stir until it boils and thickens, about 1 minute. If desired, remove kaffir lime leaves.

7. Mound hot rice on eight dinner plates. Lay fish on top and scatter beans and pepper strips around fish. Spoon curry sauce over and around fish. Sprinkle slivered basil over the top. Or serve fish, sauce, and vegetables on a large platter, with rice in a bowl alongside. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 542 cal., 30% (162 cal.) from fat; 45 g protein; 18 g fat (9.3 g sat.); 51 g carbo (5.3 g fiber); 348 mg sodium; 54 mg chol.

Green Curry Paste

PREP TIME: About 5 minutes

MAKES: About 1 cup

NOTES: Adding ingredients to a purchased Thai curry paste gives it a fresher flavor and brighter color. Most purchased Thai curry pastes tend to have a higher proportion of hot chiles than homemade versions. This embellished paste is medium to medium-hot, depending on the brand of prepared paste used.

In a blender or food processor, whirl 1/2 cup canned coconut milk, 1/2 cup sliced shallots, 1/3 cup sliced garlic, 2 tablespoons prepared green curry paste, and 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro.

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes, plus about 2 1/2 hours to chill

MAKES: 8 servings

NOTES: Like many Thai desserts, this pudding tastes salty-sweet and includes a vegetable for texture. For an authentic taste, add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt to the tapioca base and corn. You can make the pudding up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

1 cup pearl tapioca (1/16 to 1/8 in.) or quick-cooking tapioca
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups canned coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt (see notes)
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels or chopped peeled fresh or canned water
chestnuts (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch Sliced strawberries
1. In a 3- to 4-quart nonstick pan over high heat, bring 4 cups (3 3/4 cups if using quick-cooking tapioca) water to a boil. Gradually stir in tapioca; reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until transparent, 15 to 30 minutes for pearl (5 to 8 minutes for quick-cooking). Mixture will be very thick.

2. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup coconut milk, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in corn, if using. Spoon into eight small bowls or ramekins (1/2 to 3/4 cup each).

3. In a 1- to 2-quart pan, mix remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Add remaining 1 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir over high heat until mixture is boiling, 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon equally over puddings and spread to cover tops. Chill until cool, about 30 minutes, then cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours. Just before serving, garnish with strawberries.

Per serving: 248 cal., 29% (72 cal.) from fat; 0.8 g protein; 8 g fat (7.2 g sat.); 46 g carbo (0 g fiber); 387 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

RELATED ARTICLE: Garden the natural way

Davis Bynum Winery's garden is a great example of a movement in garden design called permaculture. Founded by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, the idea is to create a more natural landscape that takes better care of itself than the average high-maintenance garden while yielding a plentiful harvest of plants for both food and materials. You can put these ideas to work in your own garden by shaping its bedding soil to capture water more efficiently and by carefully selecting and siting the plants.

How to organize

First, arrange your soil to form berms and swales to better retain water. While most effective on slopes (as shown above), this technique also works well on flat land.


1 Plant deep-rooted trees (fig, mulberry, peach, plum) on tops of berms to help break up heavy soil and shade lower growers.

2 Place thirsty plants (angelica, comfrey, lemon grass) on the wetter, upslope sides of the berms (more water collects there than on the downslope sides) or in the lowest area of the swales if your garden is flat.

3 Train annual vines, such as beans and cucumbers, up tree trunks.

4 Put dry-climate plants (lavender, rosemary, sage) on the drier, downslope sides of berms.

5 Plant hardy perennial groundcovers (clover, mint, oregano, thyme) in the low areas of the swales.

6 Set hardy perennials with average water needs (artichoke, butterfly bush, rhubarb) under the tree canopies.

What to plant

In general, use deep-rooted, low-maintenance perennials as well as annuals that reseed. Look for multitasking plants--for example, ones that provide food and also shade lower growers.

* For food: Perennial fruits, fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables.

* To create habitats: Bronze fennel, spearmint, and yarrow for beneficial insects; butterfly bush and sage for pollinators such as bees and humming-birds; bunchgrasses, shrubs, and trees for birds and other wildlife.

* To improve soil structure: Deep-rooted plants, such as burdock and daikon radish, break up heavy soil and add organic matter.

* For mulch: Burdock, comfrey, rhubarb, and other large-leaf plants.

* To provide soil with nitrogen: Ceanothus, clover, legumes (beans, peas), lupine, and sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides).

* To supply minerals (as compost or mulch): Chives, comfrey, garlic, and white yarrow.

For more information

Davis Bynum Winery

(www.davisbynum.com or 707/433-3204)

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, by Toby Hemenway and John Todd (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2001; $25)

Permaculture International

(www.permaculture international.org)

Tierra Viva Landscape Design (www.tierraviva landscape.org or 510/910-4490)

RELATED ARTICLE: California-Thai garden supper

* Crab Salad on Cucumber Rounds with Davis Bynum Shone Farm Vineyard Fume Blanc (Russian River Valley, CA)

* Glass Noodle Salad with Shrimp with Davis Bynum Limited Edition Chardonnay (Russian River Valley)

* Thai Green Curry Fish with Davis Bynum "Lindleys' Knoll" Estate Bottled Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley)

* Coconut Tapioca Pudding with tea or coffee

RELATED ARTICLE: Party plan

* Up to 1 day ahead: Make noodle salad through step 2, curry sauce for fish through step 2, and tapioca pudding.

* Up to 3 hours ahead: Prepare crab salad through step 3.

* About 15 minutes before serving appetizer: Mound crab salad on cucumber rounds.

* About 5 minutes before salad: Assemble noodle salad.

* About 25 minutes before serving main course: Cook rice.

* About 15 minutes before main course: Cook fish and vegetables; reheat curry sauce.

RELATED ARTICLE: The well-stocked Thai pantry

Although you can produce our menu entirely with familiar ingredients, for more authentic flavor and some shortcuts, look for these items in Thai or other Asian grocery stores (many of them are available in the Asian section of your supermarket). We've found www.importfood.com or www.templeofthai.com to be good mailorder sources. Except for the fresh herbs, most of these keep for months if tightly covered and refrigerated.

1 Lemon grass. Fresh tropical grass with a citrus aroma. Peel off tough outer layers and mince tender inner stalk. Use lemon peel (yellow part only) as an alternative.

2 Pickled garlic. Sweettart whole, unpeeled heads. Chop the garlic and use it all, including the skin. Or pickle your own: www.sunset.com/garlic

3 Thai basil. Fresh anisescented basil has a purplish-red tinge on stems. Fresh sweet basil can be substituted.

4 Dried bean threads (saifun). Thin, brittle dried noodles, made from mung beans, look like fishing line. When boiled, they turn clear and slippery, which accounts for their other names: glass or cellophane noodles.

5 Green curry paste. Prepared paste made from green chiles, garlic, and spices. Sold canned or in plastic tubs. You can also make your own: see page 116 or visit www.sunset.com/curry

6 Thai roasted-chili paste (nam prik pao). Roasted chiles blended with soybean oil to make a dark reddish brown paste. Imparts mellow, savory flavor. You can also make your own: www.sunset.com/paste

7 Dried shrimp (goong haeng). Dried, salted tiny shrimp. They add briny flavor to homemade roasted-chili paste.

8 Star anise. Brown, star-shaped spice with cinnamon-anise flavor. Use anise seed as a substitute.

9 Coconut milk. Rich, unsweetened milk extracted from grated coconut, mixed with water. Enriches curries and desserts.

10 Pearl tapioca. Granular forms of tapioca that come in varying sizes, from as small as a mustard seed to the size of a pea. Quick-cooking tapioca can be substituted, but it cooks faster and the texture is softer and less distinct.

11 Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam). Thin, pungent, amber-colored sauce made from fish and salt. Use like salt or soy sauce, both of which can be used as substitutes.
12 Kaffir lime leaves (makrut). Pairs of bright green, shiny leaves that give off an intense citrus aroma. Sold fresh or frozen. Use fresh lime peel (green part only) as an alternative.

ANUSASANANAN WITH LAUREN BONAR SWEZEY

COPYRIGHT Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT Gale Group

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An average serving of a traditional pad Thai dish racks up 603 calories, 30 grams of fat and about 2,100 mg of sodium. This lighter version contains just 286 calories, 8 grams of fat and 815 mg of sodium. Enjoy!

RELATED ARTICLE: * PAD THAI NOODLES

8 oz, linguine-style rice stick noodles
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1/2 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 lb. shrimp, deveined and cut lengthwise
1/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4 -inch cubes
1 bunch (about 15 or so) asparagus tips
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. sugar
3 egg whites
1 Tbsp. chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup bean sprouts
Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water for about three minutes; drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat, then add onion. The key to using a wok is to stir the ingredients constantly to ensure even cooking. Use a narrow wooden spatula or similar tool that won't scratch the wok's cooking surface. Cook until onions turn clear, then stir in garlic, chili and paprika. Cook about 30 seconds, then add shrimp and chicken, cooking until shrimp turns pink and chicken turns white. Add asparagus and cook until tender. Set mixture aside but leave wok on.

In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, fish sauce, tomato paste and sugar. Set aside. Pour egg whites into heated wok, chopping them as they scramble. Add noodles, shrimp/chicken mixture and rice vinegar mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook until ingredients are well mixed. Serve on a large platter. Sprinkle peanuts on top, then garnish with cilantro. Place carrots in a clump on one side of the platter, and do the same with bean sprouts on the other side. Makes six servings.

Serving suggestions: For extra heat, top with chili paste or sliced jalapeno peppers. This dish makes a nice accompaniment to soup or salad. Per serving: 286 calories, 16 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 3 g fiber.

Lisa Carruthers, MS, RD, is a nutritionist in Westlake Village, California. She has a bachelor's degree in nutrition from San Diego State University and a master's in nutrition from California State University, Northridge. You can reach her at lowfatcook@aol.com.

BY LISA CARRUTHERS, MS, RD, COPYRIGHT Weider Publication &bGale Group