Neighborhood Noodle's next noodle night is Monday, May 9, at Supino Pizzeria, 2457 Russell St., Detroit. To place your order, see neighborhoodnoodle.com.

 

Neighborhood Noodle's Thai-Style Green Apple and Carrot Salad

This recipe is traditionally made with green papaya, but it's winter in Michigan, and there aren't too many papayas hangin' round these parts, so we like to substitute a few good standbys. If you use vegetarian fish sauce and omit the dried shrimp, you can keep this vegan. For the coconut, we love to use organic raw coconut from Detroit Zen Center (detroitzencenter.org) or a freshly grated whole coconut from Honey Bee La Colmena (honeybeemkt.com). To toast, just throw the coconut in a cast-iron skillet on medium and toss for 30-40 seconds. Yum.

Salad

1 medium small carrot, thinly julienned
1 small green apple, thinly julienned
1/2 cup daikon, thinly julienned
1 cucumber in thin strips or matchsticks

Dressing

2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar, palm sugar or regular white sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon mini dried prawns, pounded (optional)
1 Thai bird chile, minced (optional)
1 cup peanuts, toasted and crushed (optional)
1 cup unsweetened, shredded, toasted coconut (optional)
Cabbage wedges cut 1 inch thick

Peel and julienne the apple, carrot, daikon and cucumber

Prepare the dressing by mixing the ingredients in a bowl. Add the dressing to the salad and toss again.

Place on a serving platter atop two or three wedges of cabbage and sprinkle with coconut and peanuts if you feel like — and your friends have no crazy allergies.

> Email Jeff Broder

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