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Chinese Cabbage Kimchi

Course: 
Side dishes
Kimchi is a classic spicy Korean pickle made fermenting cabbage and other Asian veggies. Not only is it delicious, it is also extremely good for you. www.health.com says, "Why to try it: Kimchi (or kimchee) is loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but its biggest benefit may be in its “healthy bacteria” called lactobacilli, found in fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt. This good bacteria helps with digestion, plus it seems to help stop and even prevent yeast infections, according to a recent study. And more good news: Some studies show fermented cabbage has compounds that may prevent the growth of cancer." Also, kimchi is very versatile. Almost all of the ingredients except cabbage, salt and water are suggestions, so experiment with ingredients until you have a combination you love!
Ingredients: 
  • 1 lb chinese cabbage (or bok choi or other types of cabbages)
  • Sea Salt
  • 1 daikon radish
  • 1-2 carrots
  • 1-2 onions/leeks/scallions
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 3-4 hot peppers
  • 3 Tbs grated ginger
  • 3-5 Tbs red pepper powder
  • fish sauce (optional) 
Directions: 

Make a brine of about 4 cups of water and 4 Tbs sea salt, stir well to dissolve salt. Chop cabbage and slice daikon and carrots however you prefer, and let them soak in the brine until soft. It helps to place a plate or other weight over them to keep them submerged. Do this for a few hours or leave them over night. Next prepare spices. Grate ginger, mince garlic and onion, chop hot peppers, etc and mix these with other spices you want to add, such as red pepper flakes and fish oil and form into a paste (you can add all of it to a blender and mix it that way). Next, after veggies are soft, drain the brine but reserve it for later. Add the spice mix to your cabbage and veggies. Make sure to taste and adjust if necessary (it should be fairly salty but not grossly). Once the cabbage and veggies are thoroughly mixed, stuff it into clean glass jars, pressing it in very tightly. Add left over brine if necessary to ensure veggies are covered. Next weigh down the veggies with a smaller jar or other object, and let sit. You can actually leave this out for about a week and then refrigerate, or refrigerate right away but it will be slower to ferment.

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