Elkslkip green curry

I love Thai curries, and it turns out elkslip or Western marsh marigold (Calthus leptosepala) is a good choice of vegetables for them, because the greens cook down so tender. I used an extremely spicy paste, so I mixed spoonfuls with coconut milk until it was to my liking—and it still ended up quite spicy regardless. My preparation also calls for a handful of finely chopped dandelion flowers. These were a last minute decision and it would probably be just fine without them, however I really liked the way they added a hint of golden yellow.

Elkslip Green Curry

• 1 can coconut milk
• green curry paste
• 6-7 cups of young elkslip leaves and stalks, washed well
• 10-15 dandelion flowers, washed
• 1/2 onion, sliced thin
• 1 red pepper, sliced thin
• 2-3 cups of cubed tempeh, tofu, or meat of your choice
• white jasmine rice

Boil elkslip for 20 minutes, drain, and set aside. (You may want to taste at this point to make sure it is not too bitter, which can happen when the leaves are past their prime.) Sauté onions and red peppers in oil until they start to soften. Chop dandelion flowers fine and throw on top of the cooked peppers and onions. In a separate pan, fry tempeh or tofu until browned (if desired), or meat until cooked through. Prepare curry sauce by mixing curry paste spoonful by spoonful with one can of coconut milk to desired taste. Combine curry, elkslip, protein, and onions/peppers in a pan, using a fork to spread the elkslip evenly throughout the curry. Cook together on the lowest heat for 5 or 10 minutes and serve on rice.

NOTE: For more info on Calthus leptosepala, please see The Great Elkslip Experiment Part I and The Great Elkslip Experiment Parts II & III.

Updated 3.2.21