CSA Week 3: Thai Red Curry

Yummmm - Thai red curry with veggies and tofu. I made this last night for a dinner & card night with friends, and it turned out to be the most successful Thai curry I've ever made. I think the sauce was really helped out by the lemongrass that I've been saving in the freezer for a special occasion. My neighbor brought over some of his CSA snap peas and greens for salad and delicious little strawberries for dessert (hi Jeremy, p. sure you are one of my like 3 consistent readers!)

The first step to make this is to grind up the curry paste - which really definitely requires a food processor or at least a blender to cut through the fiberous lemongrass. I ground up some ginger, tomato paste, fresh tomato, lemongrass, red onion, chili sauce (a fresh red chili would work too), soy sauce, and all the "c" spices - coriander, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom. I can't tell you the proportions - just feel it out, taste it, and adjust. Then I cubed and pressed some tofu to get out the moisture while sauteeing some sweet potatoes, broccoli, green beans, and chopped red and green peppers. After a few minutes add in a good amount of curry paste (again, use your judgement) and cook for another few minutes, then add in enough coconut milk to mostly cover the veggies. Simmer until everything is tender. Meanwhile, fry up the tofu (or just leave it soft if that's how you prefer it). Toss in the tofu before serving and top with shredded basil.