fortification fridays - thai gardener's salad

This salad is a delicious mix of herbs, thin rice noodles, ground chicken, and a slightly sour/slightly sweet dressing. It's not by any means traditional, but it takes its cues from the Thai salad called "larb" or "laap," a mix of ground meat, lemongrass, cilantro, mint and garlic, all bound by toasted ground rice powder. I see it as a celebration of gardening -- little sticks, bits of leaves, chunks of dirt. OK, maybe that's gross, but I like the image. You can usually buy most of the specialized ingredients (rice noodles, fresh lemongrass, fish sauce) at regular grocery stores these days, but you might have trouble finding galanga if you don't have an Asian market in your town. Substitute fresh ginger (not dried ginger) if you can't find it.

Thai Gardener's Salad

Serves: 4
Kitchen Needs: Stove burner

1 hank of dried rice noodles (they usually come in portion-sized chunks. You want a good handful)
1 lb. ground chicken, ground pork, or very thinly sliced beef
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. fish sauce
1 T. sugar
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, white part only, chopped finely
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. fresh mint, chopped
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 t. dried galanga powder (try penzeys.com for galanga powder) or 1 T. fresh galanga, grated (or 1 T. fresh ginger, grated)
some chili heat: 1 chopped jalapeno or 1 t. red pepper flakes, to taste
optional: ground peanuts or several large, beautiful cooked and peeled shrimp for garnish

Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of boiling water while preparing the other ingredients. The noodles should soften considerably so they are "al dente." Use the thinnest ones you can find for this recipe. Brown the meat and garlic, and place in another bowl with dressing ingredients: fish sauce and sugar. Mix well. Add the rest of the herbs and spices, and correct seasoning if necessary.

The noodles should be ready when you are finished with the above. Using clean kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, carefully cut the noodles while in the bowl into bite-sized lengths, about 2 inches long. Drain noodles well, then add to salad. Mix and enjoy!