I have always had trouble getting the balance right between Thai fish sauce and lime juice when making Thai salads at home.  No more!  Finally I have discovered the right mix.  It comes from the basic Thai Green Papaya Salad recipe (Som-Tam). The secret is some brown sugar and some vegetable oil.  Don’t miss the nectarines here for a proper salty-sweet- savory mix that my family loves. Ingredients for the marinade: 2-3 Thai chilies, stem removed and chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves 4 tablespoons lime juice, fresh is best, bottled okay 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt, may reduce For the dressing: 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce ¼ cup vegetable oil 5 tablespoons lime juice 4 tablespoons brown sugar Salt to taste – not much! Salad ingredients: 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken, sliced to bite-sized May substitute ground chicken/turkey 12 ounces green beans, chopped to 1 inch pieces 2 nectarines, pitted and sliced to ¼ inch or less 1 tomato, cut to ¼ inch slices or else add another nectarine ½ cup chopped cilantro for tossing in a the last minute Peanuts, chopped, for garnish when serving Other things to throw into the salad if desired: Bean sprouts Red onion sliced thin  Green onion/scallions Basil Red pepper flakes Fresh red pepper, seeded and sliced Cabbage, sliced up cole slaw style Papaya, peeled, seeded and slices.  See the Internet for technique. Purée all the marinade ingredients.  Or chop fine all the marinade ingredients then whisk in the oil & lime juice.  If using a blender to purée, you may need to add a bit more oil & lime juice to engage the blender blades. Marinate the chicken in the purée for at least a half hour at room temperature, or several hours chilled. Whisk all the dressing ingredients and set aside. Blanch the green beans in boiling water for a few minutes until they turn bright green and get just a little bit tender. Crush the beans by placing under a towel or in a plastic bag and hammering until they are just broken. This will allow the beans to cling to more of the dressing. Combine the beans and the nectarines (not the tomatoes – too soon - they will turn to mush!) with the dressing and set aside to chill in the refrigerator. Cook the chicken using your preferred method.  Stir fry or sauté in a little oil, or grill on skewers if the pieces are large enough, or roast in the oven, or grill using a vegetable grilling tray. Toss to combine all ingredients, including the extra cilantro and serve with the crushed peanuts on top. Adapted from a Som Tam recipe in Bon Appetit magazine.