Adventures in Kimchi (Part 1)

How beautiful are Daikon radishes?

We were introduced because our Kimchi recipe called for radishes, and the co-op didn't have "regular" radishes.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

We do.




We adapted Sandorkraut's Kimchi recipe from Wild Fermentation.

1. Make 1 quart of brine by mixing 4 T into 4 cups of water.
2. Chop 1 lb of bok choy or napa cabbage, 1 daikon radish, and 1 carrot into bite-sized funness.
3. In a 2 quart mason jar (or something it will fit in), layer all veggies, pour brine over, and tamp down with something heavy (we used a smaller jar filled with water). Cover jar with a cloth. Let sit until soft (a few hours).
4. Make the paste!

-1 onion, diced
-6 cloves of garlic
-3 T freshly grated ginger (we ended up using a little dry to make up the difference)
-4 cayenne chilles

here's the creative part! we added a healthy dash of sesame oil, a splash of tamari, and some sriracha hot chili sauce. The original recipe said to make it a paste, but since the Shopacalypse is at hand, and we might not always have access to a food processor, we decided to go with a more old-fashioned amalgam.

5. When veggies are soft, pour off brine and set aside. Mix paste in with veggies. Tamp down with smaller jar. If there is not enough liquid at this point to cover the veggies, add just enough of the original brine to cover.
6. Let sit for a week. Tamp whenever you remember to.