Kimchi and the Micro-Universe of Probiotics

One of the many reasons why we choose to farm organically is because we want to protect the natural ecosystems of life.  Much of what we see in terms of "pests" that nibble holes in the broad leafy greens, are only a tiny portion of living organisms that depend on vegetables for life and health.  When pesticides are used, It's not just the beetles and caterpillars that are eradicated; even the organisms that are healthy and necessary for digestion are disrupted. Bacteria are part of the life cycle, and for humans and other animals they are necessary in the process of digestion and absorption of necessary nutrients. Lactobacilli is the main naturally-occurring pro-biotic that lives on fresh fruits and vegetables.  When the vegetables are allowed to ferment in an anaerobic environment, the lactobacilli multiply.  This is good news for everyone, but especially for anyone who might have difficulty digesting certain foods.  Other fermented foods such as sour dough bread, yogurt, and cheese are already common in western diets for their taste as well as their nutritional properties. Although pro-biotics are available in pill form at pharmacies, making your own is not only cheaper, it's delicious as well!  This season's CSA shares are full of fantastic fermenters. Cabbages, radishes, spring onions, and kohlrabi are excellent as sour kraut or kimchi.  Give it a try.  And if you are looking for more information about fermenting, contact our local Slow Food Chapter, or read one of the many books about fermenting available online or at your local library.

Basic Kimchi

(Adapted from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz)

Ingredients:

(To make 1 quart of Kimchi)

Sea salt (not iodized)

1 lb Napa cabbage, pak choi, or arrowhead cabbage (or a mixture of the three)

1 Daikon radish or a few easter egg radishes

1-2 Fennel bulbs

3-4 Spring onions

4-6 Cloves of garlic

3 Tbs fresh ginger root

3-4 Hot chilies (fresh or dried)

Method:

To make the brine, fill a quart jar with filtered water or spring water, then add 4 Tbs sea salt.  Cover and shake until dissolved.

Coarsely chop the cabbage or pac choi, spring onions, and fennel.  Grate or julienne the radishes.  Place in a mixing bowl and cover with the quart of brine.  Cover with a plate or other weight to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine.  Let the vegetables soak for about 2 hours.

Place the garlic, chilies and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree into a paste.  You may need to add a little water or brine to make the paste.

When the cabbage mixture is decidedly salty to taste, drain off the brine into a bowl or jug (you may need some later).  Place the cabbage into a bowl and massage the garlic-ginger paste into the cabbage.  Always make sure to use clean utensils and hands.  (Sterilizing with anti-bacterial or chemical sanitizers are not necessary, but you want to make sure there are more good bacteria present than bad ones that will encourage mold growth. Soap and water for hands and utensils is perfect).  Stuff the cabbage mixture into a clean quart jar, packing in as tightly as possible and forcing the brine to rise.  Bruising the vegetables until they release brine encourages fermentation and removes air pockets.  The lactobacilli bacteria will populate in an anaerobic environment (no air), whereas molds will grow in the presence of oxygen.  However, you need to make sure to Leave about 1 inch of space in the top of the jar because the fermentation process will release gasses and cause the kimchi to swell in the jar.

There are several methods for keeping the kimchi submerged in the brine and discouraging mold growth.  For the sake of simplicity, however, I'm going to suggest keeping the lid on the jar (not too tight!).  Without a weight to hold the vegetables under the brine, you will need to open the jar and press the vegetables down into the brine once a day for a week.  Katz says, "If you think you can remember to check the kimchi every day, you can jus use your (clean!) fingers to push the vegetables back under the brine. I myself like the tactile involvement of this method, and I especially enjoy tasting the kimchi by licking my fingers after I do this.  Either way, cover the jar to keep out dust and flies."  It takes about a week for the kimchi to ferment to a point of ripeness, but you can taste each day and decide how you like it best.  I won't hurt to let it go longer if you prefer.  Leave it in your kitchen or on a shelf (not in direct sunlight) at room temperature, then refrigerate for long storage once it tastes perfect.  It will continue to ferment very slowly in the refrigerator, but can be tasty for months of stored properly.

Kimchi is a very versitile salad or condiment, but my favorite way to enjoy this tasty pro-biotic-filled food is with scrambled eggs and sauteed greens. It's a fantastically nutritious way to start the day.

Kale Chips 101

If you have not yet tried turning your leafy greens into a crunchy snack, then this is the post for you.  Yes, we grow and eat loads of kale because it's nutritious, but also because it's tasty.  And this is one of the easiest, most addictive ways to enjoy your leafy greens.  Curly kale has a great texture for baking into chips, but you can use any leafy greens. Seasoning options are virtually endless.  However it does not take much salt, (since the natural salts in the leaves become more concentrated when they are dehydrated), so use salt sparingly. Here's a basic recipe with a few seasoning suggestions:

Ingredients:

1-2 bunches of curly kale leaves

Olive oil

Kosher or sea salt

Alchemy Spice Fat Elvis Memphis Rub (or your favorite spice blend)

Method:

Remove the washed kale leaves from the stem and thick rib. Pat dry with paper towels.  Place on a baking sheet and spray or massage a little olive oil onto the leaves. Spread the leaves into a single layer, then season lightly with salt and a little Fat Elvis.  The kale leaves will shrink to about 1/2 their original size, so you may want to make several batches.

Place in the oven at 350 F  for 10-15 minutes, or use a lower temperature to preserve more nutrients (about 250 F) for 20-30 minutes.  Either way, it's important to check the kale every 5 minutes or so, turning the leaves to expose more of the moisture, and checking that they do not burn.  They can dehydrate quite quickly at times, so make sure you are watching them closely.  Once they are crispy, remove from the oven and let cool.  The most difficult part about this recipe is deciding whether or not to share the kale chips.

Kale Smoothie Popsicles

Yes, popsicles are for kids in the summertime...but you might want to make a few extra of these for yourself.  They make a fantastic cool treat for snacks, dessert, or even a light lunch.  It's a tasty way to enjoy those luscious greens that are filling the CSA boxes this time of year!

Ingredients:

About 6-10 dinosaur kale leaves (as a bonus, the kids love them even more because they are called "dinosaur")

1 cup of frozen blueberries

1 very ripe banana, frozen

1/2 cup raw almonds (or almond butter)

2-3 cups milk, or milk alternative like soy, almond or coconut

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

A pinch of kosher salt

Local raw honey, to taste

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender (I prefer to use a Vitamix for smoothies), and puree on high until very smooth. Adjust ingredients to taste.  Pour the smoothie into popsicle molds (available online and in many local shops). Freeze for 12-24 hours.

Preparation Tips

Fruits: You can adjust the fruit in this recipe to suit your taste, but blueberries are my first choice because they don't have coarse seeds and the smoothie won't turn brown when mixed with greens. Of course brown is not necessarily bad...you can always add some cocoa powder and give it a chocolaty taste.  Also, bananas are fairly essential for sweetness and texture, but hey it's a smoothie, make it the way you like it. You can also make layered popsicles with different flavor combinations.  Recently we tried a red-white-and blue popsicle made with the following layers: strawberry coconut, peanut butter banana, and blueberry kale. The kids keep begging for more.

Flavor & Texture: Nuts are also optional, but they add protein, as well as richness to the flavor and texture.  If you don't use nuts, add a little oil, coconut milk (unsweetened cold-pressed in a can), or cream to the mixture to balance the bitterness in the greens.  The salt, lemon juice and oils or nuts are all important ingredients to get the right balance of flavor, and counteract any bitterness from the greens.

Fresh v/s Frozen: You can use fresh fruit that has not been frozen, but the texture is more like ice cream when you start with frozen berries and bananas.  If you want a real time-saver, blanch your greens and freeze them as well.  Alternatively, you could puree them in a blender, then freeze portions in an ice-cube tray.  You can pop out portions as you need them for smoothies.

The Blender: A high powered blender like Vitamix is my first choice for making smoothies.  There are many blender gadgets available, even specifically designed for smoothies.  To get a truly smooth texture from high-fiber foods like greens and nuts, it's best to have a blender that can keep up with the demand.  You can still make smoothies in standard kitchen blenders, but it may take longer, or the texture may be less uniform and smooth.

Kohlrabi and Radish Slaw

Ingredients:

2 Small kohlrabi bulbs, julienned, and thinly sliced leaves

3-5 Radishes, julienned

1 Large spring onion, chopped

1 Clove of garlic, peeled and minced

1 Sprig of fresh dill, minced

1 Tsp brown mustard seeds

2 Tsp good quality all-natural apple cider vinegar

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 Tsp white truffle oil

Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Method:

This recipe is quick and easy if you have a good mandoline slicer or food processor with a julienne blade.  You can also use a cheese grater, but the texture will be less crunchy.

To slice the kohlrabi leaves thinly, start by removing the stem and rib from the leaves.  Lay the leaves flat in a stack, then roll lengthwise into a log shape.  Slice across the roll of leaves, making spaghetti-thin swirls.  You can chop again to shorten the strands of leaves if you like.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Season to taste.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a few hours if you want a softer, wilted texture.  This slaw is delicious served with grilled fish.

A Taste of What's to Come

In a recent edition of Chatter Magazine, food writer Beth Kirby shared stories and recipes from a few local ladies who are shaping the character of local farming. Signal Mountain Farm's McLean Miller and Chyela Rowe were part of that story.  As we get ready for the first spring harvest, we wanted to share this recipe to get your mouth watering for what's to come in the 2013 CSA season.  CSA members and those who have signed up for our newsletter will be receiving emails with delicious recipes tailored specifically to each week's harvest. We will post those recipes here.  So come visit our website often, browse through the archives for other ideas, and feel free to share your ideas and kitchen successes on our facebook page.

Warm Roasted Spring Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch baby beets (or 2 medium sized beets), plus greens

2 small or one large kohlrabi, plus greens

1 large or 2 medium fennel bulbs

Canola or olive oil

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Garnish & Dressing:

1 lb Link Forty One Sorghum Baconage (thawed)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 heaping teaspoon Sequatchie Cove Farm sorghum syrup

3 Tbs white balsamic vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper

Drippings from cooked baconage

Sequatchie Cove Creamery blue cheese (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Trim leaves from the beets, kohlrabi, and some fennel leaf if desired. Place the leaves in a salad spinner, clean sink or large bowl.  Cover with cold water, give them a swish with your hand to loosen any soil, then let rest in the cold water for a few minutes to let the soil settle.

Meanwhile, wash and trim the kohlrabi, beets and fennel. Slice thinly with a sharp knife or mandolin slicer. Arrange the vegetables in an ovenproof casserole dish. You can arrange them neatly, alternating beets, kohlrabi, and fennel in a repeating pattern if you want an attractive presentation.  Otherwise, just toss them all together with some oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to caramelize on the tips.

While the vegetables are baking, prepare the baconage and dressing.  Remove the sausage casing from the baconage with a knife or kitchen shears.  Slice or crumble the baconage into a heated cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet. Cook until browned, then remove from the pan and set aside, (but leave the drippings or fat rendered from the cooked baconage in the skillet.) Add the garlic, sorghum syrup and vinegar to the skillet. Stir until combined and cook until it begins to bubble.  Remove from the heat and let rest.

When the vegetables are out of the oven, remove the beet and kohlrabi greens from the cold water and spin dry or pat with a clean, absorbent cloth.  Put a little oil and the greens in a large skillet and sauté until they darken in color and just begin to wilt.  Add the warm vinaigrette and sauté for one minute.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place a portion of greens on each plate, topping with baconage and crumbled blue cheese.  Serve warm as a salad, or use as a topping for garlic-herbed pasta or rice.