Pad Thai-na

Traditional pad thai contains bean sprouts, which lend a nice crunch. I substituted bean sprouts for a nice purple pepper from my farm share. There are many many recipes out there for this simple, essential Thai dish. I've made it a couple times and tried to tweak it-just sweet/tangy enough with the faintest hint of salty fish sauce. It's always a work in progress.

13.2 oz bag rice noodles, or whatever size bag you can find (you may need to adjust amounts)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 purple pepper, very thinly sliced (you can reserve a few strips for garnish)

1/2 a white onion, thinly sliced (can use thinly sliced green onions in place, of or in addition to)

3 eggs

1 lime, cut into wedges

Cooked marinated tofu

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

3/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped or ground

**To make tofu, wrap the block in a couple paper towels and press between two plates with something heavy on top for about 20 minutes. Slice the tofu into cubes of a size which is pleasing to you. Marinate in a mixture of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and wasabi.... about 1/4 cup vinegar, 3 T. soy sauce and a teaspoon wasabi would be my guess. Sautee in oil until the cubes are browned on several sides. I usually add the marinade at the end to really soak up the flavor.

Mix together:

1 T. tamarind paste

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 T. fish sauce

4 T. brown sugar

1 T. rice vinegar

1 T. fresh lime juice

1/3 cup hot water

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

1. Soak the rice noodles according to the directions on the package. This step is key! I let them sit in hot water for about 15 minutes. You can always cook them more but you can't uncook them.

2. Cook tofu and remove from pan- they can break apart if you mix them too much.

3. Sautee the onion in oil for a few minutes, until soft and translucent. Add garlic and pepper strips and cook a minute more. Add eggs and cook briefly until they begin to set. Add noodles and sauce. Stir fry until sauce is absorbed and noodles are soft.

4. Stir in 1/2 cup of the ground peanuts, and the tofu.

5. Serve sprinkled with ground peanuts, cilantro, and pepper strips. Garnish with a lime wedge.