Title: Som tam (spicy carrot salad)
 Categories: Salads, Thai, Vegetables, Ew
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      1 tb Raw unsalted peanuts
    1/4 c  Fresh lime juice
      2 tb Nam pla (fish sauce)
      1 ts Light brown sugar
      1 lg Clove garlic, peeled
      2    Bird or other fresh hot
           -chiles, seeded and finely
           -chopped
      1 ts Dried shrimp powder (opt)
      2    Ripe plum tomatoes, seeded
           -and chopped
      4 c  Grated carrots
      1    Head leaf lettuce, washed
           -dried & torn into approx
           -2" pieces
    1/2 sm Head green cabbage, cut into
           -thin wedges
 
  Heat a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add peanuts and dry
  roast, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from
  the skillet, cool slightly and chop. Combine lime juice, nam pla and
  brown sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Place the peanuts in a food
  processor fitted with a metal blade. With the processor blade
  spinning, add garlic, chiles and dried shrimp powder, if using. Add
  the lime-juice mixture and process until smooth. Transfer the
  dressing to a bowl; add tomatoes and a handful of the carrots. Use a
  large flat spoon to press and mash the tomatoes and carrots into the
  dressing. Gradually add the remaining carrots until the salad is
  fully blended. (The salad can be prepared ahead to this point and
  stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.) Line a platter
  with lettuce, place cabbage wedges around the edge, mound the carrot
  salad in the center and serve. 68 calories per serving: 2 g protein,
  1 g fat, 14 g carbohydrate; 265 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol. From
  Eating Well Magazine, Apr '95.