Gado Gado Time

Gado Gado is one of our favourite ways to eat the bounty of summer vegetables.  Basically, on a bed of rice, you top a variety of vegetables (really anything goes) and hard boiled eggs.  On top of the “salad” you pour a peanut-sauce dressing.  We cut up a variety of veggies and hard boiled eggs and put them in bowls on the table, then people can create their own dish.  Here’s what we had this week:
 
Shredded beets
Shredded zuchinni
Diced cucumbers
Hard boiled eggs
Shredded cabbage
Swiss chard sliced finely
broccoli
 
Gado Gado Peanut Sauce – enough for 6-8 people
•    1 tablespoon vegetable oil
•    1 cup finely chopped onions
•    1 bay leaf
•    ½ teaspoon salt
•    1 or 2 fresh hot peppers, minced, or ½ 1 1 teaspoon cayenne
•    1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
•    1½ tablespoons peeled and fresh grated ginger
•    1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds (optional)
•    2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate – don’t worry if you don’t have it
•    2 cups water
•    1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
•    3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
•    2 cups smooth peanut butter – use almond butter if you need
•    2 tablespoons brown sugar
•    2 tablespoons soy sauce


Instructions
To make the peanut sauce:
1. Warm the oil in a covered saucepan on low heat.
2. Add the onions, bay leaf, and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the hot peppers or cayenne, garlic, ginger, coriander, if using, and tamarind concentrate.
4. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the water, coconut milk, and vinegar, increase the heat to a low simmer, and cook, covered for 3 minutes.
6. Stir in the peanut butter and sugar until the sauce is smooth.
7. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
8. Remove the bay leaf.
9. Stir in the soy sauce, and add more to taste.
10.          While the sauce is cooking, prepare and steam vegetables you like until they are just tender.
11.          Serve Gado Gado on a large serving platter or on individual plates.
12.          Spread a bed of spinach leaves on the platter or plates.
13.          Arrange steamed and raw vegetables on top–they can be warm, room temperature, or cool.
14.          Add some of the extras.
15.          Serve the peanut sauce in a separate bowl or ladle some over the vegetables and pass more at the table.