“Hello, you want sit here for nice dinner?” Two young Thai men beckon us towards large low tables where holiday-makers recline on triangular cushions as they eat dinner. We had already eaten there, under the stars with the waves lapping literally at our feet. Amazing setting, OK food.
Tonight we are flip-flopping in our jandals down Koh Samed beach, around the rocks, through to the next beach to Jeps Bungalows. The food here is fantastic. The menu offers every cuisine but we turn straight to the Thai dishes. What shall we eat tonight?
It’s great to buy fruit and vegetables in season. Right now we’re eating heaps of sweet corn. It’s so easy to cook: three minutes per cob (husk on) in the microwave. My son and I munch ours straight off the cob but my husband loves his smeared with butter and salt. He’s succumbed to skinny milk, cup-cake sized steak, couscous and lentils so I figure he’s allowed the odd indulgence!
Corn gets its rich yellow colour from the family of phytochemicals (natural plant chemicals) called carotenoids. Yellow, orange, red and dark green vegetables such as spinach, carrots, tomatoes and pumpkin get their colour from carotenoids. Corn is especially high in two carotenoids – lutein and zeazanthin. The macular region of the eye has a high concentration of these substances which implies that they play an important role in keeping our eyes healthy. It’s thought that they protect against light-induced damage to the eye and help prevent macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye problems.
We were on our way to Picton to catch the ferry to Wellington but I couldn’t leave without popping into the Blenheim farmers market. As we walked past fresh vegetables, apricots, cherries and nectarines a friendly lady offered me a plate of pikelets topped with chunky apricot and rhubarb & ginger jam. “Would you like to try one? It will go well with your bottle of Riesling.” I was momentarily flummoxed. How did she know I’d bought Riesling? Then I recognised her. It was Chris from the Vavasour winery. I’d staggered in there yesterday on my brief afternoon cycle around the local wineries. “This is my other job,” she explained. “I make my jam without water – just fruit and sugar, cooked slowly over a low heat. You get a much more intense flavour – no watering down.”
Do you go through cooking phases? I do. My latest one has been Khao Pad Krapao, pronounced ‘cow pat’ which is rather unfortunate for us English speaking people. It’s fried rice with basil – that’s the ‘krapao’ part – and it’s delicious. What makes it so special is the Thai basil. I have a plant sitting on my kitchen bench begging to be used every few days, and I’ve been happy to oblige. Making this meal brings back wonderful memories of our numerous visits to Thailand although it loses some of its authenticity when eaten without car fumes.
Thai basil tastes quite different to the basil that goes so well with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and olive oil. But it comes from the same herb family. That’s right: herbs come in families just like vegetables. Basil belongs to the mint family (real name – lamiaceae). Its brothers and sisters include lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme. No, I haven’t forgotten that other essential Thai herb, coriander.
