Eat your (summer) veggies - Coconut Thai Curry with Summer Vegetables

If you’ve ever participated in a CSA or grown your own vegetables, you probably know that you’re at the mercy of the garden.  And in the summer, that means squash, and lots of it!  After a while the standard preparation methods (grilling, roasting, sautéing) feel tired and boring.  Having hit that point, we set out to find a recipe that uses a lot of summer vegetables in a way that lets them play a supporting role rather than being the star.  Thai curry provides a bold flavor that plays well with summer vegetables.  Adding in some white fish for protein and serving over rice creates a nourishing and satisfying way of using up all those summer veggies.  However, don’t feel like you’re locked into our recipe. This template can be used to incorporate a variety of proteins and vegetables, so adapt it to suit what you have available!

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A colorful and delicious way to use summer vegetables

Ingredients (makes approximately 4 servings):
1 Tbsp oil (we used coconut)
2 Tbsp red Thai curry paste
5 scallions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
6 cups (approx.) of summer vegetables, including yellow squash, zucchini, bell pepper, green beans, Japanese eggplant, etc.
1 tsp lemongrass (fresh or frozen), chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
2 sprigs Thai basil
8 oz white fish, such as halibut, cut into bite-size pieces
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp fish sauce (optional)
lime for garnish

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Gathering the ingredients

​Instructions:
Heat cooking oil in a pan.  Add curry paste and cook while stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.  Next, add the white part of the scallions, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring regularly, until soft, about 3 minutes.  

Sautéing the base ingredients for the Thai Curry sauce

Next, add your chopped summer vegetables and lemongrass.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 5-10 minutes.  
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Stir well to coat the vegetables in the curry paste

Add the broth and coconut milk.  If the liquid does not mostly cover the vegetables, more broth can be added. Increase heat and bring to a simmer.   
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Simmering the vegetables to absorb the curry

Add the fish and let poach, about 3 minutes.   Add chopped basil and fish sauce, if using.  Additional fish sauce or curry paste can be added if more flavor is desired.  

Serve over rice.  Top with additional basil and the green parts of the scallions. Garnish with lime.​