Pesto

It’s so great to finally have Italian basil growing in the backyard. I like the Thai basil that is available at the market, but sometimes you just need Italian basil. Thanks to Meghan for sending the seeds! I know this is not the most authentic pesto, but you can’t expect to find lots of authentic Italian ingredients in Southeast Asia! I’m happy to have olive oil. Pinenuts or walnuts are a great addition to pesto, so use them if you have them.

The Garden

James has been doing a lot of work in the garden over the past month and the results are starting to show. It’s the end of the rainy season, so it’s a great time to start planting vegetables that would have drowned if you planted them 2 months ago (like lettuce, cilantro, dark leafy greens, green onions . . .)

So far the most exciting part of our garden is the okra – “tua lek” in Lao. It’s kind of funny that there’s a word for it in Lao because most people have never seen it or heard of it.

Sweet Potato and Squash Bake

Okay, “Sweet Potato and Squash Bake” doesn’t sound as good as it actually is. I just couldn’t think of a better name for it. This dish is so good because baking squash and sweet potatoes this way caramelizes the sugars and there’s goat cheese on top! I made this dish for a dinner at my parents house and my mom taught me that you can actually peel a butternut squash with a potato peeler. I didn’t believer her at first, but it does work – give it a try. In Laos, we don’t have butternut squash, sweet potatoes, red onions, or goat cheese, so I won’t be making this for a while and I’m slightly jealous of anyone who will 🙂