Tamarind?

Alright, so continuing with Mrs. Hoagland's streak of giving me bizarre and strange-looking roots to make something out of, this month was no exception. I was handed a small oddly shaped root, resembling a miniature ginger root, yet the insides were the color of a carrot. I spent a while looking for a recipe, many were very foreign, flavors I might only find in Thailand, until I stumbled across a kind of dressing used on dessert fruit salads in Thailand, and it captivated my interest, I set off combining ingredients like orange concentrate, a paste made from the root which I soaked in water for about 10 mins, sugar, oil, vinegar, into what looked like a strange concoction. I will have to admit, I was pretty nervous as to it's outcome, but when I tasted it, it was pleasantly appetizing, with many dimensions of flavor, sweet, sour, savory, and would definitely taste very good marinaded with pineapple of fruit cocktail. I'll try to bring it in tomorrow as long as I don't forget it in my fridge!! -Bryce D