Vietnamese green mango salad

The market square was busy and colorful today. I strolled past all the tables, looking at the beautiful greens, reds, purples, oranges..and every hue in between. One of my favorite experiences is walking through the entire farmer's market first, to survey what is available and fresh. Then I will circle around a second time, this time stopping at the stands I am interested in. Today was no different than other days...I love the happy commotion that is the French farmer's market. Whenever I'm buying food, there is no real recipe I have in mind. Instead my purchases are based on color, smell, and shape, and what's in season (if possible). I often pick ingredients that look pretty and/or interesting..or vegetables that I don't ordinarily buy. Like le citrouille (pumpkin) and les navets, or purplish-white turnips I bought last week. Once home with my goodies I'll look through cookbooks and websites for inspiration.

Today when I saw green mangoes at one stand, I couldn't resist buying two large green ones. To that I added four bright yellow lemons, and three heads of broccoli. At the supermarket I purchased jambon cru, des fraises (strawberries), du pain, and concombre.

For dinner tonight, Vietnamese lettuce wraps with nems (fried spring rolls using rice paper instead of the traditional egg roll skins) accompanied by a green mango salad. What shall I do with the 4 lemons and three heads of broccoli? Maybe a lemon cake and a broccoli gratin. So many ideas and tasty possibilities.

Green Mango Salad (my mom's recipe)
INGREDIENTS
1 large green mango, julienned or thinly grated
1/2 cup dried shrimps
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of fish sauce
1/3 cup of water
1/4 cup of distilled vinegar
5 tablespoons of granulated sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (or fresh Thai bird chillies if you have access to them)
1/2 cup of fresh mint, thinly chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix all of the above ingredients together.
2. Set aside to marinate (at room temperature) for an hour or two (if you can wait that long).
3. Serve with your main meat dish. Can be served cold or at room temperature.