Fermenting Kimchi

Kimchi is a staple side dish in Korea.

 It is simple to make and it offers your gut a ton of healthy, live bacteria known as lactobacilli.( Trust me...your digestive tract will thank you for getting more of this special bacteria in it)  It also has tons of vitamins A, B and C. I've even  read one study that shows that fermented cabbage can help prevent cancer. Along with all of the fermented benefits of this dish also comes all of the benefits of the red pepper, ginger and garlic which all have healing properties of their own.

I'm so thankful that a friend of mine brought me a plateful of this when she visited the other month. (Not to mention that she even drove back to her house to get me a second serving) This recipe comes from her mother, who is an incredibly special woman to me and I love every food she has ever made. I'm so happy that she shared her recipe with me. (And that she gave me permisiion to share it with all of you!)

We have not been without a jar of this since the day I got the recipe. As soon as it's done fermenting I start a new batch so it's ready to go.I highly recommend making this but be aware that it is spicy. Spicy and delicious!!!

Here's how It's done:

1) Cut up two Napa cabbages in 1-2 inch squares ( I was not using Napa's when I took this picture)



2)  Soak the cabbage in 10 cups of water and one cup of salt for 5-6 hours.



3)  Drain, Rinse and squeeze off excess liquid from cabbage



4) Mix in 1/2 cup red pepper flakes,

5 scallions cut into 1 inch pieces

1 Tbls. sugar

1 Tbls, chopped ginger root

 1 Tbls. chopped garlic.

5) Pack mixture tightly into a CLEAN large glass jar with a lid and let it ferment on your counter top for 3-6 days.



6) When it's done fermenting I put it in smaller quart jars and put it in the fridge.

Enjoy It with everything you ever eat. I love it with eggs...and meat...and grilled cheese sandwiches..... and well you get the point!!!

I've read that it has a shelf life of a few months in the refrigerator since it is fermented , however I would challenge you to have it last more than 2 weeks without being eaten. It is just too delicious!!

Thanks Jane and Nadia for your sharing this with me!

I. Love. It!!!!!



 

Spinach, tomato and sausage Ziti

 

You know the nights when you have nothing ready for supper...When your husband's already on his way home? Usually when this happens to me I find myself reaching for a simple pasta dish. Well the other night I was going to do my standard ziti recipe when I happened to notice a fresh bag of spinach in my fridge and my gleaming cans of garden fresh tomatoes that I had learned to can over the summer. I decided to just throw some fresh stuff in my dutch oven and hope it was delicious...And boy was it ever! Like top 10 best things I've ever made kind of delicious. I had to write the recipe down and tuck it into my recipe box. I'm kind of good at just coming up with recipes on the spot but I'm not very good at writing them down so I can make them again! This one was worth it though. Again I'm not great with measurements since I don't measure stuff but here is what I did.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lb- fresh loose sausage (preferably from your own backyard pigs. haha)

1 bag of the freshest most locally grown spinach you can get

1- box of ziti or any other noodle

1 small can of tomatoes (preferably from your garden canned stash)

a generous sprinkling of garlic salt

and any white cheese you have on hand. I used Parmesan and mozzarella.

And like a Tbls. of butter

 

I cooked my pasta in my dutch oven (stove top, of course) and drained and set aside. Then I put my sausage in the dutch oven with a small bit of water and let it cook until browned. Add spinach and let wilt. Then put everything else in, including the ziti and stir. I also added a generous amount of cracked black pepper to the top.

 

I'm telling you this meal is delicious! Serve it with freshly baked bread...mmmmm!