Another Fermented Vegetable Dish

If you're familiar with Korean food at all you have doubtless tried kimchi, as the condiment appears at just about every Korean meal. When I was in middle school my family lived in Korea for two years, so I developed a taste for kimchi and was eager to try my hand at making my own. Using the recipe in Nourishing Traditions, I recently made three jars of kimchi and I'm trying to be patient to wait for it to reach full flavor before eating it!

I noted that the Nourishing Traditions recipe is somewhat different than kimchi recipes I've seen in other sources, so I will have to keep you posted about the flavor. I also elected to leave the cabbage in larger pieces rather than shredding it, because I've never had kimchi that was shredded. The downside to that was it was harder to pound out and there wasn't as much liquid as with the sauerkraut. I hope that won't have a negative effect on the outcome!

Kimchi

1 head cabbage, cored and shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup daikon radish, grated
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoons whey

Place ingredients in a bowl and pound with a wooden mallet or meat hammer to release juices. Place in two quart-sized jars and press down with mallet or hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the vegetables should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

Note: Kimchi is also available at the Farm Shop if you'd like to try it!

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