The wind feels almost indecisive at this time of year. It comes, it goes. Sometimes it roars in full of bluster, other times it creeps about in quiet whispers. The other night something made the wind panic because it raced up the hill, hurtled through our open walls, and dervished through our vegetable garden, tearing off a papaya tree’s thick limb laden with green fruit. The next morning there were seven unripe papayas strewn on the ground, which in the past I would have chucked on the compost but this time decided to find a way to use them.
When I lived abroad I seldom cooked Asian food, with Thai Green Chicken Curry being about the extent of it. But when I moved here to the farm I noticed lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and chillies all thriving in the garden. Since then we’ve planted ginger, garlic, shallots, spring onions and Thai basil, and they too are doing well. Add to all this a never-ending supply of fresh lemon juice, and it would be daft of me not to create flavorful, healthy, Asian dishes.
Chris is in possession of an old copy of Ken Hom’s Foolproof Thai Cooking, and I knew it would be a good guide on how to use my seven green papayas. I found an easy recipe for a Spicy Papaya Salad, which I later compared with other versions I found on the Internet. I’ve since created a hybrid of sorts, beefing it up with red peppers and green runner beans from the garden, as well as rice noodles that transformed it into a kind-of Green Papaya Pad Thai Salad. I love the flavors in Pad Thai, so I also added crushed peanuts and Thai basil.
Our friend James Green, who along with his partner, Bridgey, is visiting us from Johannesburg, has gone fly-fishing on the Zambezi River today. I urged him to do his best to catch some tilapia. This delicate white fish, grilled or baked, I’m guessing would really complement this sort of spicy, sweet and sour salad. Grilled shrimp, for those who live near the sea, would also be a perfect accompaniment. (If James isn’t successful, I’ll consider adding a small handful of tiny dried shrimp we keep in the freezer.)
Green Papaya Pad Thai Salad – inspired by Ken Hom’s Spicy Papaya Salad
Yield: 4-6 servings.
Ingredients:
- 2 green papayas, peeled, deseeded, and grated
- 4 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 4 shallots (or 2 medium red onions if shallots aren’t available), finely chopped
- 3 fresh bird’s eye chillies, deseeded of half the seeds and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Greens beans to taste (I used two large handfuls), cut in half
- Sweet red peppers to taste (I used 2 large peppers), finely sliced
- Thai basil to taste (I used two large handfuls), roughly chopped
- Rice noodles to taste (I used half a bag)
- Peanuts to taste, roasted and crushed (I prepared 1 cup to be used on the salad as a garnish, as well as for a condiment on the side)
Method:
1. Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 10 minutes, and then transfer to boiling water for a couple of minutes. Strain and run under cold water again to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
2. Blanche the green beans in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Strain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
3. Mix the garlic, shallots, chillies and salt in a medium bowl and pound with a pestle, or the back of a wooden spoon, to release the flavors. Add a handful of grated papaya and gently pound into the mixture, continuing to do so, handful by handful, until it is all combined.
4. Add the lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar. Then add the green beans, red peppers and Thai basil (setting aside a small amount for garnish). Toss carefully until all the ingredients are combined.
6. Mix together the papaya mixture with the softened rice noodles and arrange in a salad bowl, or on a platter. Garnish with crushed peanuts and the remaining Thai basil.
