David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

8/9/06

Carrot Sambal

(serves 6-8 as a side dish)

This works well as a barbecue accompaniment, especially if you’re tired of cole slaw.

4 large cloves garlic
1 fresh jalapeno pepper
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 c sugar
4 tsp fish sauce
juice of one lime
1 lb organic carrots (see tip below)
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
small handful of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

1. Smash the garlic with the blade of a large knife, then peel and trim each clove. Trim the jalapeno, remove the seeds, and mince the flesh.

2. In a skillet over low heat, cook the garlic and jalapeno in the canola oil until the garlic starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the sugar and let cool. Complete the dressing by mixing in the fish sauce and lime juice.

3. Meanwhile, wash, trim, and shred the carrots. Add the scallions and cilantro. Toss with the dressing. Serve or refrigerate.

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Tips

* Be careful when handling fresh hot peppers. Because capsaicin (the compound that makes hot peppers hot) is difficult to wash off, I recommend wearing rubber gloves or just using a plastic bag on the hand that handles the pepper.

* I specify organic carrots not only because they’re better for you but also because you don’t need to peel them. That’s a big plus when recipes like this one call for carrots in quantity.

* Carrot sambal (with carrots from our garden) has become such a summer staple in our house that I’ve developed a variation, just so we don’t get too tired of it. The variation is quite simple: Just add a 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced, and half a teaspoon of ground cardamom to the oil with the garlic and jalapeno. The result has a nicely distinctive tang.

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If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Story of America (DK, 2002).