Standing on the field with your pretty pompom...

I thought before food I would show you pictures of my babies, Hollie and Lillie. They are often by my side in the kitchen.

Miss. Hollie

 Miss. Lillie

Today I wish to entice you with a cold vegetable curry. As I have mentioned previously I adore curries and Indian flavors. I do believe this is my new favorite chilled vegetable salad. The flavor layers will pop in your mouth. There is an excellent combination of warm earthiness from the curry and bright freshness from the herbs. As with most of my recipes you may adjust the heat levels to your liking. If your local grocery does not have lemongrass, you should be able to find lemongrass paste in the produce section. Feel free to experiment with any vegetables of your choice; I went with mainly traditional Indian veg. This is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day, so I recommend preparing it the night before you are planning on serving and refrigerate overnight to allow the intense flavors to marry. This is a nice salad for a transition into fall with the warm notes that it carries. Grilled chicken or lamb with a simple Indian rub and basmati rice seasoned with coconut are excellent accompaniments. Enjoy!

Lemongrass Mango Curry

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 cup basil leaves, plus handful for garnish

handful mint leaves, plus more for garnish

1 garlic clove - minced

1 mango diced

3 lemongrass stalks – chopped (if you cannot find fresh, paste will do)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 inch piece ginger grated

1 jalapeno diced

1 teaspoon curry powder (use whatever heat level you like)

squeeze of honey

juice of one lime

sea salt to taste

1 large radish julienned

1 medium zucchini julienned

1-2 red, yellow or orange bell peppers julienned

1/2 cauliflower head - chopped into small, bite-size florets

Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss the pumpkin seeds with olive oil and salt and spread on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Add half of the toasted pumpkin seeds into a food processor along with the cilantro, basil, mint and garlic. Process until well combined.

Meanwhile, combine the mango and lemongrass in a high-speed blender, blending until smooth. Strain and discard the solids.

Add the lemongrass-mango puree to the food processor, along with the ginger, jalapeno, curry powder, honey, lime juice and salt to taste. Process until well combined.

In a large mixing bowl combine the daikon radish, zucchini, bell pepper and cauliflower pieces. Add in the mango-curry sauce and reserved 1/2 portion of toasted pumpkin seeds. Toss well to combine. Garnish with basil and mint leaves and serve.

Until tomorrow...Peace.