Thai cucumber salad

Two Johns gave me delicious veggies from their gardens.  John Heider gave me some cucumbers.  My brother John gave me some radishes, green tomatoes and jalapeño peppers.  I figured out some pretty awesome recipes to use these yummy ingredients.

Thai Cucumber Salad

  • 2 cucumbers
  • 1/4 cup diced fresh vine tomatos
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 diced jalapeño pepper
  • 1/4 cup peanuts
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tsp minced garlic

Step 1: Peel and chop the cucumbers.  Toss them with the salt and put them in a colander in the sink.  They will sweat and drain for about 30 minutes, so let them sit there while you prepare the rest.

Step 2: Mix the vinegar, agave nectar and minced garlic.  Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly.  They will still taste very lightly salted.  Toss the cilantro, vinegar mixture, peanuts, and jalapeño pepper into the cucumbers.

Sherry Warren food lentils from the garden

I had a bunch of tomatoes that I needed to use quickly.  Easy solution: I made a simple lentil curry, and served it over jasmine rice.  This was an easy and filling main dish for the meal.

Quick Lentil Curry

  • 1 cup lentils
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 jalapeño pepper, chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp minced garlic

Add the chicken stock and lentils, bring them to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer.  Add the minced tomatoes.  Simmer until they are soft, about 5-10 minutes depending on the type of tomato.  I used vine tomatoes and green tomatoes, which made the tomato addition more interesting both in terms of texture and flavor.  Add the remainder of the ingredients and allow the lentils to simmer for about 20 more minutes.

Sauteed radishes

Pan Roasted Radishes

  • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp powdered chicken stock bouillon

I had never cooked radishes at all.  This was a quick alternative to roasting.  The balsamic vinegar is a great complement to the bitterness of the radishes.

Saute the radishes in the oil for about 10 minutes, until they begin to become tender.  Add the vinegar, garlic and bouillon, and stir constantly to coat.  Continue cooking over medium heat for about 3 minutes.