Care & Storage
For Eating Fresh: Chop off the reedy bit at the top and the tough part at the bottom, leaving about six inches in the middle, then strip down the tough outer layers. Store in a plastic bag in your fridge for up to a month.
To Freeze: Freeze lemongrass as is in a bag or container.
Availability
August - October
Recipes
Green Curry Paste
Adapted from Real Thai by Nancie McDermott
1 tbsp whole coriander seed
1 tsp whole cumin seed
5 whole peppercorns
3 stalks fresh lemongrass
¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp finely minced lime peel
3 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
2 tbsp coarsely chopped shallot
½ cup fresh green Thai chilies
1 tsp salt
Place the coriander seed in a small skillet and dry-fry over medium heat until slightly darkened and fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Repeat with the cumin seed. Combine the roasted spices and peppercorns and grind to a fine powder in a mortar or spice grinder. Trim the lemongrass, discarding grassy tops and cutting away hard root section. Slice each stalk crosswise very thinly, and then chop finely. Place in a large heavy mortar. Add the cilantro, ginger, and lime peel. Pound until the ingredients are broken down, scraping down the sides often. Add the garlic and shallot and continue pounding until a moist, fragrant paste forms. Add the chilies, then the ground spices, salt, and shrimp paste, and grind well. If you don’t have a large mortar, you can use a food processor instead, though the pounding and grinding of a mortar is preferable to the chopping action of a food processor;
