Free THE EVERYTHING® THAI COOKBOOK by Jennifer Malott Kotylo Page A

until cold, preferably overnight.
Seeding Cucumbers
    Seeding a cucumber is simple! Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the soft inner flesh and seeds in one quick swoop. That's it!

Serves 2–4
    This is a terrific summer salad to bring on a picnic. It's great served alongside grilled chicken, chops, even burgers!
Cucumber Salad with Lemongrass
    ½ cup white vinegar
    1 Thai chili, very finely minced
    1 garlic clove, very finely minced
    2 stalks lemongrass
    3 cups thinly sliced cucumber
    1 cup bean sprouts
    1 cup cubed tart apple (such as Granny Smith)
    ½ cup shredded carrot
    ¼ cup minced mint
    ¼ cup minced parsley
    1 tablespoon fish sauce
    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, chili, and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, remove it from the heat, and let cool.

Trim and finely chop 1 lemongrass stalk. Place it in a small saucepan with ½ cup of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let cool.

Trim the remaining lemongrass stalk, peel off the tough outer layers, and finely mince the white portion of the tender stalk within. Reserve approximately 1 tablespoon.

Combine the cucumber, bean sprouts, apple, carrot, mint, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine the fish sauce, oil, minced lemongrass, the vinegar mixture, and the lemongrass water.

Toss the vegetables with the lemongrass vinaigrette to taste.
Preserving Fresh-Cut Apples
    To keep the apple pieces from turning brown before you use them, put them in a small container of cool water to which you have added a couple of drops of lemon or lime juice. The citric acid prevents the apple from discoloring .

Serves 6–8
    I think the Thai have figured out more ways to use cucumber than anyone else on the planet, and each one seems better than the last. The cucumber and apple in this salad yield a great contrast of flavors.
Papaya Salad
    1 medium papaya, peeled and julienned, or cut into small pieces
    ½–1 teaspoon salt
    3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
    4–6 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely
    ½ cup long beans (green beans), cut into 1–inch pieces
    2 teaspoons fish sauce
    4 tablespoons Tamarind Concentrate (see recipe on page 18)
    2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
    Sticky rice, cooked according to package directions
Place the papaya on a sheet pan and sprinkle it with salt. Let the papaya stand for 30 minutes. Pour off any juice and then squeeze the fruit with your hands to extract as much fluid as possible. Place the pulp of the papaya in a large food processor.

Add the chilies and pulse briefly to combine. Add the remaining ingredients except the tomato and pulse again until mixed.

Transfer the papaya mixture to a serving bowl and garnish with tomato slices. Serve with sticky rice.

Serves 4–6
    This recipe calls for salting the papaya in order to extract some of its liquid. This is the same method used to prepare eggplant slices for the grill or for use in an Eggplant Parmesan.
Zesty Melon Salad
    6 cups assorted melon cubes
    2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, and sliced
    6–8 tablespoons lime juice
    Zest of 1 lime
    ¼ cup honey
    1 serrano chili, seeded and minced (for a hotter salad, leave the seeds in)
    ¼ teaspoon salt
In a large mixing bowl, combine the melon and the cucumber.

Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over the fruit and toss well to coat.

Serve immediately, or if you like a zestier flavor, let the salad sit for up to 2 hours to allow the chili flavor to develop.

Serves 4–6
    A lively looking and tasting salad, it's a sure winner at a picnic. Using a hollowed out watermelon as a serving dish makes an impressive, yet easy and inexpensive, serving dish.
Crunchy Coconut-Flavored Salad
    1 cup julienned jicama
    1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
    2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
    1 recipe Coconut Marinade (see recipe on page 14)
    Place the jicama, cucumber, and basil in a large bowl. Pour