Since August, I’ve been back 5 times and have not been disappointed.

My lunch started with a fresh green salad topped with Thai Peanut Sauce Dressing. The peanut sauce was slightly hot, creamy and complex, so good in fact that I ordered more to take home. My beverage of choice was Thai Iced Tea; sweet, creamy white on top, mildly spicy and interesting tea on bottom; mixed together…a perfect taste sensation. The Green Curry with Tofu (steamed or fried) was a delicate, yet complex combination of tastes and textures. I ordered mild… it had just a hint of heat, with coconut milk, sweet basil leaves and vegetables. Served with brown rice it was simply delicious. For desert I had Mango Sticky Rice. The combination of cold, juicy, sweet, luscious mango, with creamy coconut milk and hot sweet sticky rice, made me close my eyes and make yumming noises.

Lunch entrée was $7.95… median priced for the area. I whole-heartedly recommend the Green Curry, Chicken Satay, Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice and Thai Coconut Custard Stick Rice.

A Delightful Recipe

Yogurt-Barley Soup

I love to cook and experiment with different recipes. I found this Middle Eastern soup in the cookbook ‘New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant’. Reading the list of ingredients I could almost taste the results. It is a bright, slightly tangy, delightful mix and a 9 out of 10 on my yum meter. Chewy barley, combined with tart yogurt, mint and vegetables, is even better the second day … the flavors meld together and intensify.

2/3 cup uncooked barley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1/2 teaspoon dried, but fresh is best
5 cups Vegetable Stock or water
1½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter black pepper to taste
2 cups chopped onions 2 cups whole milk plain yogurt
1 medium carrot, diced 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Combine the barley and stock or water in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered until tender about 45 minutes. While barley is cooking prepare the vegetables in a separate pan.

Sauté the onions in butter until translucent. Add carrots and cook stirring frequently until tender. Add a little water or stock if necessary to prevent sticking. Veggies will caramelize slightly.

When barley is tender, add vegetables, mint and seasonings to the soup pot (if you use bouillon to make the stock it may not need extra salt, taste before adding more). Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, add more hot stock if too thick. Take off the heat and stir in the yogurt and parsley. You can carefully warm the soup on low heat if necessary.
Serve with pita bread and perhaps an assortment of olives, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs and Middle Eastern spreads like Hummus, Tzatziki or Baba Ganouj.

Best of all this soup is truly good for the body.

Here is some interesting information about the ingredients… Yogurt strengthens bones, lowers cholesterol, guards against ulcers, supports the immune system and contains probiotics, which aid in digestion. Carrots help eyesight, protect the heart, help with constipation and weight loss. Onions lower cholesterol (raises HDL) and reduce risk of heart attack; protect against cancer and asthma; and kill bacteria and fungus. Barley lowers cholesterol, helps protect against heart disease and colon cancer, as well as provides lignans (antioxidant) and high fiber (both soluble and insoluble). Mint sooths the stomach, aids digestion, helps IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), relieves headache, kills bacteria and fungus, helps with asthma and allergies, protects against cancer and is relaxing/calming. Parsley is a diuretic, helps flush toxins out of the body, sweetens the breath, helps maintain urinary tract and kidney health, and lowers blood pressure.

A Great Find…

If you are looking for seasonal, locally grown, fresh, chemical free produce, take a drive south on I-17 to Orme Dugas Road and visit K & B Farms (Phone: 928-202-7393). They are open year round and offer a nice selection. In September they had tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, pumpkin, winter squash and fresh black-eyed peas. Selection varies from week to week depending on what is ripe and ready to pick.

Check out past editions of Bonnee's Food Corner!

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