Summer tastes like … fresh Thai salads

Barbecue, trips to the lake or a picnic in the park: delicious, light dishes are just as much a part of summer as the scent of freshly cut grass and the feeling of sunshine on your skin. The fantastic weather makes you feel like eating fresh, light summer dishes, easy to prepare, to pack and to take with you. Therefore we provide you with our favorite summer recipes in our new series.

Thai salads at Tongsai Bay

Where else could one be better prepared for the summer than in Thailand with its tropical temperatures? The first recipe was provided by Tongsai Bay. The sustainable resort on Koh Samui cares a lot about participating in life on the island. That’s why it is often present on local markets, for example the “Farmer’s Market”, where it sells homemade products such as banana blossom salad, coconut cookies or mulberry tea – and thus allows the inhabitants of Koh Samui to have a share in its delicious organic products. To give you an impression, too, here is the recipe for the coconut blossom salad for you.

Coco Blossom Salad

Ingredients
1 Banana blossom
1 Tbsp. crispy red shallot
1 tsp. chopped bird chili
2 Tbsp. Thai chili paste
2 Tbsp. undiluted coconut milk
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. palm sugar
¼cup mint leaves
3 Tbsp. soft young coconut meat
Lime juice diluted in water

Soak banana blossom in diluted lime juice for 10–15 minutes to prevent the banana blossom from turning brown. Then simply mix all ingredients and serve in the shell of a young coconut (which provided the meat) on a wooden board.

Variation: Banana Blossom Salad

Replace 3 tablespoons soft young coconut meat with 3 tablespoons shitake mushroom stem (torn or cut into strips). Prepare like the Coco Blossom Salad and serve in a banana blossom petal on a wooden board.

Cover picture: © Tongsai Bay