Carrot Top Pesto

Recipe from Anna Thomas’s Vegan Vegetarian Omnivore: Dinner for Everyone at the Table, W.W. Norton, 2016.  

How many times have you thrown away those bushy green tops? Me, too—but no more. Now I make this deliciously peppery, textured pesto. Have it as a condiment with roasted spring carrots, or roasted new potatoes. Or spread it on crostini with a dab of white cheese.  

Be sure you have fresh, bright green carrot tops. And if you have no basil to add to the mix, try parsley or cilantro and a few fennel greens instead. Makes about 2 cups. 

• 4 ounces trimmed carrot tops (from 1 or 2 bunches), big stems trimmed off  
• 2 cloves garlic 
• ¼ cup (1 ounce) walnuts 
• 1 ounce fresh basil leaves, chopped (about ½ cup) 
• ½ ounce fresh mint leaves, chopped (½ cup), plus more to taste 
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt 
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

Pull the fronds of the carrot tops off the stems and discard the stems. Carrot tops have a firm, chewy texture, but the stems are tough. Wash and spin-dry the greens. 

Pulse the garlic and walnuts briefly in a food processor, then add the various greens and the salt and pulse again, scraping down the sides of the container as needed, until the greens are finely chopped. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and process the pesto until it is smooth. 

Khao Poon Kalee (Curry Rice Noodles)

Recipe from Chef Seng Luangrath, Thip Khao

Khao poon, the national noodle dish of Laos, is sold at many markets and street stalls and eaten on festive occasions. It features rice vermicelli and different kinds of broth—some sour, some spicy, some with or without coconut milk. This version, one of my personal favorites, features a rich coconut curry broth. Serves 4. 

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts water 
• 2 bunches (about 17 ounces) medium-thick rice vermicelli (preferably the Oldman Que : brand, labeled 802) 
• ½ cup coconut milk (to cook the curry paste) 
• 2 cups coconut milk (to create the curry sauce) 
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil  
• 1 (14-ounce) can yellow curry paste (preferably Maesri brand) 
• 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder (preferably Madras style)  
• 1 cup cooked poultry (leftover shredded or ground turkey or chicken, optional) 
• ½ cup bamboo shoots (rectangular slices) 
• ½ cup onions (cut into small squares) 
• ½ cup cooked, skinless potatoes (cubed) 
• 5 tablespoons fish sauce (preferably Three Crabs brand) 
• ½ teaspoon salt (preferably kosher or sea salt)  
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar (broken up or crushed) 
• 2 cups unsalted chicken stock 

Ingredients for plating:

• 4 cups mixed julienned white and purple cabbage  
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts 
• ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro 
• 16 mint leaves  

Preparing the Noodles:

Bring the water to a boil in a pot, about 15 to 20 minutes. Once the water reaches a boil, add the rice vermicelli and cook on high heat. Loosen them with a cooking spoon, then agitate the noodles frequently to ensure they cook evenly.  

The water will turn white and milky as starch leaches out from the noodles. Once the noodles are just past al dente, in about 10 to 15 minutes, remove the pot from the stove. Immediately dump noodles into a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water until all residual heat is gone. Set aside. 

Making the Sauce:  

On high heat, preferably using a nonstick pot, add the cooking oil and allow it to heat up, about 1 minute. 

Add ½ cup coconut milk and the yellow curry paste. Stir to integrate. Cook the paste, stirring frequently to prevent sticking as oil from the coconut milk rises to the surface and as the mixture bubbles.  

As the content darkens and shrinks, turn the heat to medium and gradually to low, until the oil from the coconut milk has reduced and dissipated, about 15 minutes. 

Add 2 cups of coconut milk, yellow curry powder, chicken stock, bamboo shoots, onions and meat (if desired), stir well and bring the heat back up to high. Add palm sugar, fish sauce and salt. Stir to blend, making sure the palm sugar dissolves. 

Allow sauce to reach a boil, about 5 to 10 minutes. Once boiling, turn off heat and add in the pre-cooked cubed potatoes. Set aside and prepare for plating.  

Directions for Plating (repeat for each individual serving)  

Place 2 cups of the noodles into a large bowl. 

Ladle curry sauce over the noodles with enough to generously cover but not to immerse. Top the noodles with ½ cup of bean sprouts. Then, add 1 cup of the white and purple cabbage medley. 

Sprinkle on cilantro as desired and top with 4 mint leaves. Mix together upon eating. 

Nam Wang Puak (Kabocha Squash in Sweet Broth)

By Chef Seng Luangrath, Thip Khao

In Laos, sweet broths are served warm as dessert. There are a variety of them. Kabocha squash, while commonly eaten in savory soups and curries, is featured in the one that I enjoy. Evoking fall, this choice is a great counterpoint to any meal—and best, perhaps, on a cold night. Serves 4.  

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cubed kabocha squash (about 11 ounces), approximately ¾ inch in length and a ½ inch in width (don’t cut the pieces too large) 
• 1 cup water (to make the pudding) 
• ½ cup cold water (to soak tapioca pearls) 
• 2 cups coconut milk 
• ½ teaspoon salt (preferably kosher or sea salt) 
• ¼ cup tapioca pearls  
• ½ cup sugar 

Directions:

Place the squash, water and coconut milk in an uncovered pot. Stirring occasionally, bring the contents to a boil on high heat, about 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce to medium-low heat and continue cooking, monitoring closely, until the squash becomes soft but not mushy, about 5 to 8 minutes.  

Just before the squash reaches its desired doneness, place the tapioca pearls in a small bowl and allow them to soak in cold water for about 2 minutes.  

Once the squash is done, add in the tapioca pearls and mix. On low heat, stirring occasionally, allow the pearls to soften and turn translucent while making sure they don’t become pasty, about 2 minutes. 

Finally, when the consistency is somewhere between soup and pudding, add the sugar, mix well and turn off the heat. Serve immediately while warm.