Recipe - Nuoc Cham With Shredded Carrots And Daikon

2 small Garlic cloves, crushed
1 small Fresh red chile pepper,
seeded and minced
2 tablespoon Sugar
2 tablespoon Fresh lime or lemon juice
One fourth cup Rice vinegar
One fourth cup Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish
sauce)
1 small Carrot, shredded
1 small Daikon or turnip, peeled and
shredded
1 teaspoon Sugar

VEGETABLE PLATTER
1 lg Head of Boston lettuce,
separated into individual
leaves
1 bn Scallions, cut 2" lengths
1 cup Coriander leaves
1 cup Mint leaves
1 cup Fresh Asian or regular
basil leaves
1 Cucumber, peeled in
alternating strips, halved
lengthwise and cut or sliced up
crosswise
4 ounce Fresh bean sprouts

Combine the garlic, chile and sugar in a mortar and
pound with a pestle to a fine paste. Add the lime
juice, vinegar, fish sauce and One fourth cup water. Stir to
blend. (Alternately, combine all ingredients in a
food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds,
until the sugar dissolves. Toss the carrot and daikon
shreds with the sugar in a small bowl. Let stand 15
minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the Nuoc Cham to
the softened vegetables and stir.

On a large platter, decoratively arrange the vegetable
ingredients in separate groups.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini