Well Met May

Thai Eggplant "Kermit" blossom

This pretty little blossom greeted me so happily this first day of May! There are a few of these growing in pots in my Phoenix garden. This particular plant was started from seed last spring. It grew and produced all summer, then went dormant over the winter. I moved it to a large planter until this spring, when it began to grow again. Now back in a pot, this plant should thrive in the heat and produce little eggplants all summer long, as long as I keep it well watered and make sure it gets afternoon shade.

A couple of years ago, my daughter went to Thailand with our church youth group. As part of our introduction to Thai culture, we were privileged to eat some delicious, homemade Thai food prepared by a lovely Thai American woman who, along with her husband, helped lead the trip and served as liaison. One of the dishes she prepared was a fiery green curry prepared with beef, coconut milk, and featuring small, round, green eggplants with white stripes. I was inspired to try my hand at cooking Thai food at home. The only problem was that I found it difficult to source some of the authentic fresh ingredients for the dishes. My solution: grow your own!

The Phoenix, Arizona desert climate is hot, dry, and challenging for gardeners during summer, but the fresh Thai ingredients needed for my intended curry can all grow well here.  In addition to the eggplants, I have a dwarf Kaffir lime tree, purchased online last spring and growing in a pot, and some Thai basil in a pot. The basil herb plant was available at our local garden center, and is as easy to grow as ordinary basil, as I learned last year. Everything else I need can be found in an Asian market and my local grocery at any time.

I am determined to make Thai green curry with fresh authentic ingredients grown at home. The only reason why I did not make the curry last year was because I simply could not find Kaffir lime leaves, and my tree was barely a stick and did not yet have leaves for harvesting. But now, everything is ready; I just have to wait for the eggplants.  Among many other wonderful things, gardening teaches you patience.

To garden is to have hope for the future.

An Elephant Ride in Thailand