Lisa Coyote's Coconut Curry Dinner Party

One of our very dearest friends, Derek, just finished up a seemingly trying semester at school where he studies alternative energy production.  Not needing much of an excuse to throw a mini-dinner party I told him he should come over on Wednesday for a celebration of his last final exam of the term. 

We listened to Bob Dylan albums and bemoaned that he canceled his concert in Billings that had been set for two weeks from now.  We all had tickets and were very excited to see him perform again.  His show here two summers ago was absolutely outstanding so we were all pretty excited.  And even though tickets are refundable the services charges aren't so we had to each pay $10 for the privileged of just wanting to see Bob Dylan.  But, I digress.

We ate an absolutely fabulous dinner of coconut curry (recipe below) and cauliflower pakoras.  Coconut milk is like a miracle food.  It make everything taste divine.  I also used white rice, a real rarity at our house, which made the whole thing all the more delicious because white rice is so sweet and fluffy.  I was calling it candy rice which made Matt laugh.  It kind of amused me to think that white rice is now something I think of as a treat food for special occasions, like holidays and parties.  It makes it even more special and I really savor it as a result.

 

Speaking of sweets, no celebration is complete without dessert, right?   I whipped up a Wacky Cake following my grandmother's recipe and gave it a nice dusting with powdered sugar on top.  It is such an easy cake. 

Then another night time garden tour and tea and conversation to round out the evening.

It doesn't take much to make me feel utterly content and cooking for my friends always--always--makes me feel that way.  And Derek is always--always--the most gracious and appreciative guest ever.

Here is the coconut curry recipe.  It originally came from my sister, Lisa, in Washington who wrote in "Lisa Coyote, Super Genius" in the From the Kitchen Of... spot on the recipe card.  Thus, I always think of it as the Lisa Coyote's Coconut Curry.  It makes me smile.

Coconut Curry a la Lisa Coyote, Super Genius

2 T oil
1 T curry powder
3 cloves garlic, diced
grated ginger, to taste
small onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 cups chopped veggies (cauliflower, carrots, peas, peppers, etc)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 can coconut milk

Saute onion in oil until translucent.
Add all ingredients except coconut milk and simmer over low heat for about 20-30 minutes, or until all the veggies are tender.   
Stir in coconut milk and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Serve over rice.