(kaffir lime leaves)
If you take a look at most of Chef Seng’s dishes, you notice right away how herbs, spices and plenty of vegetables are part if not the main course. Steamed, fried, raw, pickled, are delicious ways to try vegetables, depending on your taste and we asked Chef Seng a couple of questions on what vegetables represented for her back in Laos and now here in Northern Virginia, USA. This is what she responded:
“Back in laos we have garden back on the front yard just like here, we had so many kind of vegetables and fruits: asian guard, pumpkin, egg plants, chilies, tomato, lettuce, mustard, spinach, mint, cilantro, scallion, lemongrass, dill, ginger, galangal, lime, papaya, coconuts and more. Away from home my grandparents had fruit plantation with mango, pineapple, banana, coconut, papaya, longan and more also.
We picked most vegetables everyday to eat raw: pumpkin pod, gourd pod, Spanish mustard; we would steam and eat with many dipping sauces such as roasted chili tomato sauce or pounded fish sauce were some of our favorites.
Most vegetables and herbs we can find here in the United States. Back home we ate more vegetables than meat, every meal must have so many different kind, fresh and steamed, it wouldn’t be a complete meal for us without vegetables.
When people ask me not to put certain vegetable on their dish, I would still make for them and until now the feedback has always been “it’s delicious”.
(Thai eggplants)
On the next post Chef Seng will share with us a recipe “Orm Pak”, a delicious stew with guess what? Lots of vegetables and herbs!
Have a great week everyone, and remember to eat your veggies! 🙂
(ginger leaves)
Bangkok Golden 
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