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In with the New’s Fresh Family Recipes
Happy 2026!
In honor of the new year, we are featuring recipes from Madeworthy friend Chef Hao Tran, who teaches cooking classes at Conundrum Farms, that are guaranteed to shake you out of your cooking rut, plus a recipes that I created to take advantage of some delicious Conundrum Farms produce. They’re healthy and fresh, and can be made with ingredients from the grocery store or the farmers market (especially from Conundrum Farms!). So refresh your menu this year!
Chef Hao’s Weeknight Vegetable Thai Red Curry
Ingredients
1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste (Chef Tran prefers Maseri brand, available at Whole Foods)
1 tablespoon neutral oil like canola or grapeseed
1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced (Editor’s Note: I used the edge of a spoon to peel the ginger and grated it on a zester)
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed and cut into pieces
2 to 3 lime leaves (sometimes available at Central Market or Whole Foods, can substitute the zest of ½ a lime)
1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
2 to 3 cups mixed vegetables – carrots, potatoes, squash (winter or summer), peppers, cauliflower, or any seasonal vegetables you can find (Editor’s Note: I used a combination of carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, and eggplant, and it was delicious!)
1 to 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or fish sauce (Editor’s Note: I used 1 tablespoon of each)
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Juice of ½ lime
Fresh basil and/or cilantro for topping
Cooked jasmine rice to serve
Directions
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, ginger, and lemongrass. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add in the red curry paste and stir for 30 to 60 seconds to let it bloom in the oil. Once it is very fragrant, add the coconut milk and broth. Add the lime leaves or lime zest and stir until the curry paste dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Stir in the vegetables. Add the firmer vegetables first (carrots, cauliflower, etc.) as they will cook faster. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the quicker-cooking vegetables next and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir the soy or fish sauce into the curry. If you are using sugar, add this, too. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Remove the lemongrass pieces and the lime leaves, if used. Squeeze in the lime juice and top with fresh basil and/or cilantro. Serve warm over jasmine rice. This recipe makes enough for 4 to 6 people with leftovers.
Chef Hao’s Easy Kimchi
Editor’s Note: We’ve gone somewhat kimchi-crazy in our house, so I was thrilled to see this recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and healthy. Try stirring it into scrambled eggs or adding it to sandwiches for a funky kick. Chef Tran suggests using the kimchi “juice” in sauces, soups, and marinades.
Ingredients
1 (approximately 2 pounds) Chinese or Napa cabbage, chopped into squares
¼ cup sea salt
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup gochujang chili paste (available at most grocery stores)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped (Editor’s Note: I use a spoon edge to peel the ginger and grated it on a zester]
1 ½ tablespoon Korean red chili flakes (available at Central Market, Sprouts, or Whole Foods)
1 ½ tablespoons cane sugar (Editor’s Note: I used turbinado sugar, available in most grocery stores)
1 medium daikon radish, peeled and julienned (you can use radish, carrots, Asian pears, jicama, pineapple, green apples, cucumber, green papaya, or mango if you can’t find daikon)
3 green onions, sliced into 1-inch strips
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a very large bowl.
Toss well to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. (Editor’s Note: I massaged the vegetables well with the seasonings to start the process of breaking down the vegetables’ fibers for fermentation. USE GLOVES!)
Pack the mixture tightly into sterilized mason jars. Put on the lids. Tighten just to “finger tightness,” and let the jars sit on the counter for 3 days. Once a day, you will have to “burp” the jars. To burp the jars, slowly unscrew the outer ring of the lid for just about a quarter turn while listening for a hiss. As soon as the hissing stops, immediately retighten the outer ring of the lid to finger-tight. This method allows the carbon dioxide from the fermentation process to escape while preventing oxygen, which can encourage mold growth, from entering.
After 3 days, store the jars, unopened, in the refrigerator for another 2 days before eating. Kimchi can last in the fridge for 3 to 6 months, but understand that it will get funkier the longer it sits. And as with any fermented product, check for mold before consuming.
Spicy Stir-Fried Eggplant
Ingredients
1 serrano pepper, or 2 jalapeños, chopped
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated
4 green onions, chopped, whites and greens separated for different uses
2 tablespoons of a neutral oil
2 to 3 Japanese or Chinese eggplant, or 1 ½ to 2 pounds of any other variety of eggplant, diced
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
Juice of 2 limes
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
1 scant tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Directions
Be sure to have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and Chinese five-spice powder. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over high heat until you can see heat ripples in the oil. You need to get the oil ripping hot for a good stir-fry. Add the chiles, garlic, and whites of the green onions and cook, flipping the vegetables or stirring almost constantly until you can smell the garlic and ginger.
Add the eggplant and continue to flip or stir for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the eggplant has softened.
Give the vinegar mixture a quick stir (the cornstarch will have settled) and add it to the eggplant. Continuing to flip or stir, bring the mixture to a boil. Continue stirring or flipping until the sauce has thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the green tops of the green onions and sesame oil, stirring or flipping to combine. Serve over rice or noodles as a side or as a main dish. Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main.
