Red Cabbage Kimchi

We appear to have built up a surfeit of red cabbage, having received large red cabbages in two vegbox deliveries in a row, so I am trying making a batch of Kimchi.

Kimchi is like the Korean equivalent of Sauerkraut - generally made from chinese cabbage rather than european, and seasoned with ginger, garlic and lots of hot chillies, rather than caraway seeds. Both are fermented until sour rather than pickled with vinegar.

This recipe comes from Garden Betty.

I have halved the quantities, and didn't have spring onions to hand, so substituted thinly sliced red onion.

• 1 lb Red Cabbage, sliced into bitesize pieces
• 1/8 cup of Salt
• 4oz of Daikon (aka Mooli) (a big white radish), peeled and shredded
• 4oz Carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1 small Red Onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2-4 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
• About 1/2"-1" long chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced.
• Dried red chillies, powdered in a spice mill: 1/4 cup powder.
• 1 small apple, peeled and cored
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup water, boiled and cooled
• 1 tbsp thai fish sauce

Combine the cabbage and salt in a large bowl and mix together with your hands, separating the layers of cabbage leaf and ensuring they all get coated with salt. Pour in some water to cover, and leave it to brine for a couple of hours until the cabbage feels floppy. Drain, rinse in fresh water and drain again. Return the drained cabbage to the big bowl.

Add the daikon, carrot, red onion, garlic and ginger to the cabbage in the large bowl.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend to a paste.

Pour the paste onto the cabbage and other vegetables. Wearing plastic gloves (or just with plastic freezer bags over your hands), mix the paste thoroughly through the vegetables until all the pieces are coated in it.

Pack the kimchi into kilner jars, leaving space at the top for the liquid level to rise during fermentation. Cover loosely with lids and let sit at room temperature for at least 3 days until it becomes sour. As the liquid rises in the jars, press down the vegetables with a spoon to submerge them.

Once the kimchi has soured to taste, tighten the lids and store the jars in a cool place.

Eat as a pickle, or add to stir-fries and casseroles.

Ninniko Shoyuzuke

Don't you hate it when it turns out that somewhere on its journey from farm to shop, someone refrigerated the garlic?

The garlic thinks: "Hm. It was really cold for a while, but now its getting warmer. Must be springtime! Sprout factor 9, Mr Sulu!"

...And your lovely big bargain bag of garlic bulbs starts sprouting everywhere and needs to all be used up at once ASAP!

Fortunately, this Japanese style no-cook garlic pickle is very quick and easy to prepare - though it does take a couple of months to mature.  There is even a bonus extra side product halfway through!

Your sprouty garlic disaster will be saved, and provide a bounty of garlicky deliciousness.

Coconut, Almond and Courgette Cake

This is another cake based on one from Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache. I believe I may have already mentioned that whilst the recipes are good, I have a distinct antipathy towards the style of the book.

This is a minor variation on the Coconut Cake recipe, mainly inspired by not having quite enough dessicated coconut left in the cupboard.