Carrot Som Tam (Thai Spicy Carrot Salad)

1 T Raw unsalted peanuts

1/4 c Fresh lime juice

2 T Nam pla (fish sauce)

1 t Light brown sugar

1 lg Clove garlic, peeled

2 Bird or other fresh hot chiles, seeded and finely chopped

1 t Dried shrimp powder (opt)

2 Ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

4 c Grated carrots

1 Head leaf lettuce, washed dried & torn into approx 2″ pieces

1/2 sm Head green cabbage, cut into thin wedges

Som Tam usually has shredded papaya, and I'm sure it would be awesome that way. Here's a carrot variant that soaks up all those early farm-share carrots and has just the right SomTam taste.

Heat a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanuts

and dry roast, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and chop. Combine lime

juice, nam pla and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Place the peanuts in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

With the processor blade spinning, add garlic, chiles and dried

shrimp powder, if using. Add the lime-juice mixture and process

until smooth. Transfer the dressing to a bowl; add tomatoes and

a handful of the carrots. Use a large flat spoon to press and

mash the tomatoes and carrots into the dressing. Gradually add

the remaining carrots until the salad is fully blended. (The

salad can be prepared ahead to this point and stored, covered, in

the refrigerator for up to 1 day.) Line a platter with lettuce,

place cabbage wedges around the edge, mound the carrot salad in

the center and serve. 68 calories per serving: 2 g protein, 1 g

fat, 14 g carbohydrate; 265 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol. From

Eating Well Magazine, Apr '95.