This is a recipe I came up with a few years ago. I grow many heirloom tomatoes, usually 100+/- varieties a year. We have been especially fond of Green Zebra, a cute and tasty tomato developed by Tom Wagner formerly of Fresno California.

It is larger than a golf ball or ping pong ball and a fun stripped green tomato when ripe. It takes on an amber hue when ripe. It has a sweet-tart flavour and just begs for some fun uses.

I cook a lot of ethnic cuisines including Thai and decided to play with this tomato for a sauce and can it as I had so many Green Zebra tomatoes sitting in a basket on the counter. We love tomatillos and the Mexican salsas made with them and I started thinking, "what about a Thai "tomatilla" salsa".

I started thinking green and Thai and came up with using green Thai chiles, lemon grass, Thai Basil (bai Horopha) and then thought maybe lemon basil (bai mangluk) would be more interesting. Started playing with think Thai and green and came up with this now a favourite recipe.



2 1/2# Green Zebra Tomatoes
1 cup white wine
2 to 4 green Thai Dragons (phrik chee fa) or cayenne chiles
1 Tablespoons garlic crushed
1 cup Thai basil(bai Horopha)
1 stalk lemon grass (Takrai)
4 Magroot/Kaffir Lime leaves

Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring upon occasion.
Puree and reheat.

I serve this flavourful over rice noodles (mee). It is great adorned with fried shrimp.

I quick fry shrimp and sometimes a couple of large sea scallops per person. I coat them with breadcrumbs and chile powder and quickly fry in some peanut oil. Don't overcook the shrimp or scallops!

Excellent.

This sauce is also great as a dip as it is so thick and flavorful. Blanche vegetables such as carrots, okra, eggplants, broccoli and serve with this dip. Also good with raw veggies like celery, cucumbers, jicama, green onions, radishes, daikon, etc.

Good cold or at room temperature as a dip, or hot with noodles. It easily becomes a Thai pesto with attitude, only sans the cheese.