Kimchi Tofu Scramble

I've been keeping a secret this winter. I never thought I was superstitious until I considered sharing my secret and realized that I was afraid I would jinx it if I said it out loud. So I'm not going to say it out loud, I'm just going to quietly type it. The flu has been going around this winter, and from my understanding it's pretty nasty. I was fully expecting our family to get infected, but we never did. In fact, most of us have not even gotten a cold this winter. With two kids in elementary school and a toddler who puts everything in her mouth, including other people's tooth brushes, I couldn't figure out how we were avoiding getting sick. Then I realized that it's probably from eating fermented foods so much.

My husband and I eat lacto fermented sour kraut, kimchi, curtido or jalapenos several times per week. My daughters eat lacto fermented cucumber pickles almost every day. The fermentation process develops the good bacteria that help to build the bacteria colony in your gut (which I heard likened to a second brain in a TED Talk recently). If you have a well developed bacteria colony in your gut, you are able to obtain maximum nutrition from the foods you eat during the digestion process which may enable your body to fight illness because it's not lacking in nutrition. I think this is what has kept us from getting sick.

You can find lacto fermented kimchi (and other products) in the refrigerated section of most health food stores, but they are very expensive. I think they're so costly because they need to remain refrigerated and cannot sit in hot warehouses or trucks. At least that's the only reason for the high price that I can come up with because they're extremely inexpensive to make yourself. For this recipe I add the kimchi at the last moment after the greens have been wilted to just heat it through so as not to kill the good bacteria with high heat. It's best to prep everything before you start cooking because the dish goes quickly once you start adding things to the pan.

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 small onion (any color), diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced (green and white parts)
10-12 mushrooms (crimini, button or shiitake work well), diced
White or black pepper to taste
1 lb. firm or extra firm tofu, crumbled to look like scrambled eggs with your fingers
1 Tbsp. fermented Korean bean paste or chile garlic paste
2 1/2 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari 
1/2-1 c. Kimchi, home made or store bought
5-6 leaves kale (or other green), thinly chopped

1) Slice the vegetables and have them ready to add. Rinse the tofu and pat it dry. Preheat the sesame oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.

2) Add the scallions, onions and diced stalks of your greens (if you're using a hearty green like kale, collards, gai lan or broccoli) and onions and a bit of white or black pepper. Toss to combine and let the onions cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

3) Add the tofu by crumbling it with your fingers into the pan and toss to combine. let the mixture cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, then add the mushrooms, toss and cook for another 3 minutes.

4) Add the fermented Korean bean paste (or chile garlic paste) and shoyu or tamari and toss it around to dissolve the paste into the scramble and coat everything with the sauce.

5) Add the greens and cook until wilted (kale or gai lan will take longer than spinach or watercress).

6) Once the greens have just wilted add the minced kimchi and toss to combine everything well. Remove from the heat once the kimchi is warmed and serve. 

This serves 4 and looks nice garnished with black or tan sesame seeds and minced fresh chives.

Korean Kim Chi Hot Pot with Tofu

This soup/stew uses a Korean hot chile powder. But if you don't have access to an Asian market you could try getting dried Asian chiles and turning them to powder in a blender, or you could use pure chile powder (not the kind with other spices in it - just read the ingredients). It should also have fermented Korean bean paste, but I did not have that so I used chile garlic paste instead.

This is spicy. Not Minnesota people spicy, it's Korean spicy. This is a great soup if you're sick because it's got lots of garlic and also ginger in the kim chi, plus the spice clears out your sinuses. I used the Kim Chi we fermented at home, but you can obviously substitute with a good store bought brand. Most large grocery stores (and probably every health food store) carry jars of kim chi in the produce section.

On a scale of 1-10, I give this soup a 10. The idea for this soup is based off of a soup I had in Seoul one night when we visited Korea in 2001. That soup is still the best soup I've ever had.

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
6-8 oz. crimini or button mushrooms, cut into chunks
5 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 a large white onion, thinly sliced
3-4 large cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
3 large leaves bok choi or other green (kale, collards, etc.), sliced with stem and leaves separated
3/4 c. Kim Chi (more or less to taste), minced along with its juice 
1 Tbsp. (more or less to taste) Korean chile powder or pure chile powder
1 Tbsp. (more or less to taste) Korean fermented bean paste or chile garlic paste
3 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
1 Tbsp. mirin (sweet rice cooking wine), optional
2 lbs. firm or extra firm tofu, cubed
1/4 tsp. sea salt (add more later if necessary)
6 c. water
Cooked brown rice, optional

1) Prepare all of the vegetables and have them ready to go. You are going to cook the white parts of the scallions and the stems of the bok choi with the onions, but the greens are going to be added last.

2) Rinse the tofu, pat it dry and cut it into large cubes.

3) Heat the toasted sesame oil over medium-high heat (more high than medium) in a large soup pot. Add the onions, white bok choi stems, the white portion of the scallions, and the mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the garlic. Saute for another minute or two, but don't let the garlic burn.

4) Add the Korean chile powder, the fermented bean paste or chile garlic paste, and the kim chi and stir to mix with the vegetables.

5) Gently place the tofu on top of the vegetables and then add the shoyu or tamari and the mirin and place the cover on the pot. Let it steam for about 4-5 minutes.

6) Add the water and gently mix the pot being careful not to break up the tofu. Let it cook at a very high simmer, partially covered, for about 25 minutes.

7) Taste the broth adding more shoyu, sea salt or toasted sesame oil if necessary. Then add the green part of the scallions and the chopped bok choi leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes.

This makes about 6 servings and can be served as a soup alone or poured over cooked brown rice (in which case it would probably serve more).

Brussels Sprouts Stirfry with Sourkraut

A German Asian stirfry fusion. WHAT!? I guess I've never seen a restaurant that combines German and Asian food, but I have to say this stirfry is pretty good.

15-20 brussles sprouts, halved or quartered
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
About 10 button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c. grated daikon radish
1 c. cooked beans such as black, adzuki or pinto
2-3 c. cooked brown rice
3-4 Tbsp. shoyu or tamari
2 Tbsp. mirin
1 Tbsp. brown rice vinegar or seasoned rice wine vinegar
Asian hot sauce (such as sriracha) to taste
1 c. wild fermented sour kraut, or a good store bought brand

1) Heat the oil in a wok or large saute pan over high heat. Add the brussles sprouts and try to arrange them so that a flat side is down. Leave them alone for about 5 minutes so that they can start to brown.

2) Once the brussles sprouts have started to brown, give them a toss and add the onions and a pinch of sea salt. Once the onions have softened add the mushrooms and daikon and toss to incorporate.

3) Once the mushrooms have softened add the beans, rice, shoyu, mirin, vinegar and hot sauce. Toss to combine well.

4) Remove the pan from the heat and add the sourkraut and toss to combine.

This makes about 4 servings.

German Sausage Pizza with Caramelized Onions

Although my ancestors hail from Germany, I never thought about trying to make German inspired food until we began fermenting our own sour kraut. Now I can't stop thinking of ways to cook with kraut. This may not be a pretty pizza (I had to add the red onions to keep if from looking too beige), but it's delicious and it goes great with a German Lager.

1 pizza crust, store bought or home made
2 vegan beer brats, sliced into half inch thick rounds (I use Tofurkey brand)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
Sea salt
2-3 Tbsp. whole grain or German or Dijon mustard
3/4 c. home fermented sour kraut, or a good store bought brand
1/2 a small red onion, cut into thin rings

1) Preheat the oven according to the directions for the crust you are using. Heat a little olive oil in a saute pan and brown the sliced sausage, cooking for about 3 min. per side.

2) Set the sausages aside and add a little more olive oil to the pan along with the sliced yellow or brown onions and a pinch of sea salt. Give them a toss to coat with the oil and then let them sit for about 5-7 minutes until they start to brown. Once they begin to brown give them another toss and let them sit for another 5 minutes until they start to get evenly browned. Once they are mostly caramelized, stir them frequently to finish them off and then add the mustard and stir to incorporate. Spread the caramelized onions over the pizza crust.

3) Sprinkle the sour kraut over the onions and then arrange the red onion slices and vegan beer brats over the kraut.

4) Bake the pizza according to the directions for the crust you are using. Serve with a German lager beer, if desired.

Paprika Potatoes with Kraut

This is for those "meat & potatoes" people that don't like the meat part. I'm starting to notice I've got a lot of potato recipes so I must really like potatoes, but right now this is my favorite way to eat them. I first made another variation of these where rather than sour kraut I added some malt vinegar at the end and that was good too, so if you don't like (or have) kraut you could try that.

2 lbs. fingerling or new potatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow or white onion, quartered lengthwise & sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
Sea salt
Black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
3/4 c. Wild Fermented Sour Kraut, or a good store bought brand

1) Boil the potatoes until just tender, about 5-7 minutes depending on their size. Then drain them and set them aside to cool a bit.

2) As the potatoes cool, slice the onion & pepper.

3) Heat some olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add the onion and a sprinkling of sea salt. Toss the onions to coat and let them cook until soft, about 7 minutes.

4) As the onions soften slice the potatoes into 1/2" thick rounds and then add to the pan along with the peppers, paprika, and sea salt and pepper to taste.

5) Continue to saute until the potatoes are fully cooked and the peppers are softened, about 7 more minutes, and then add the sour kraut and toss to incorporate. Test for salt & pepper and add more if necessary.

This makes about 8 servings (depending on how much you eat in one serving).

Miso Soup for Two

This is my favorite breakfast in the fall and winter. Even the smell of it is calming and gentle. Miso paste is a Japanese fermented paste usually made out of soy beans or barley, but it could be made from other grains or beans. It is high in protein and minerals and has the good bacteria for your intestinal flora (as long as you don't purchase a brand that is pasteurized and/or contains MSG or preservatives - read the label!). Another lovely thing about miso soup is that it takes under 10 minutes to make it.

Miso soup is also the perfect medium for sea vegetables. If you are into groovy health foods you probably already know all about sea vegetables. If not, I encourage you to try these nutritional powerhouses. Sea vegetables are extremely high in calcium and also have high levels of iodine, protein and tons of other minerals. They have also been shown to fight against tumors, alkalize our blood, remove radio active particles from the body, lower blood pressure, and much more. Most of us are all familiar with nori from sushi rolls, but there are many other wonderful sea vegetables to try. My two favorites are wakame, which is used in this soup, and kombu which I often use when I cook beans (it's said to enhance their flavor and reduce gassiness). Hijiki is another good one that is often used in fritters, but it has a stronger flavor so if you aren't sure if you will like this "seaweed" stuff, start with a milder flavored one like wakame.

Rehydrating wakame.

Most sea vegetables come dried and usually need to be rehydrated in warm water and then sliced or torn before using - for instance wakame looks like tiny little beads, but after you soak it they unfurl into larger fronds. Very cool. If you can't find sea vegetables in your town they are quite affordable online and can easily be found through Amazon or through various Macrobiotic sites such as Gold Mine.

Most Miso comes in paste form (don't get powdered, please) in a plastic tub. Typically you will find mild white miso and stronger red miso at regular grocery stores (usually by the tofu). Give either one a try, or both. If you happen to live near an Asian specialty grocery store (lucky you!) you will find many different types to choose from - barley miso is said to be the best for health. Miso has a sort of meaty, salty yet mello flavor that is very pleasent. It can also be used in dips and spreads.

You never want to boil miso paste because that kills all of the good living enzymes that are in there, so be sure to keep an eye on your soup and keep it at a low simmer.

4 c. filtered water
1 tsp. shoyu or tamari 
3 tsp. miso paste, any kind (just make sure it's naturally fermented)
About 8 little dried pieces of wakame, rehydrated and sliced
(Other optional ingredients: thinly sliced onion (white or green), 4 Tbsp. cubed silken tofu, grated daikon radish, umeboshi plum paste or 1/2 a diced umeboshi plum)


1) Place the water and shoyu or tamari in a soup pan over medium high heat.

2) As the water is coming up to a simmer soak the wakame in warm water and slice it into bitesized pieces once it opens up into flat leaves. Also place 3 tsp. of miso paste in a bowl and set aside.

3) Once the water starts to show little bubbles at the bottom of the pan, ladle some of the hot water from the soup over the miso paste and use a spoon to help dissolve the paste in the water.

4) Add the wakame, the dissolved miso paste, and any other optional ingredients to the pan and turn the heat to a level so that it will be at a very low simmer. Let it cook for about 4 miutes and then serve.

Fermented Jalapenos

I love pickled jalapenos but if you look at the ingredient list on most jars there can be some pretty funky things in there. Fermenting them renders preservatives unnecessary. This is another one of those recipes that doesn't really have any exact amounts, ferment as many jalapenos as you want, but I will give you the measurements for what I used. You will need a glass jar (or jars) big enough to fit all of the peppers you want to ferment. They will also need to be weighted down so that they remain submerged in the brine. I usually use a baggie filled with water.

Here I had to use 3 small jars because I didn't have a big jar available.

1 1/2 lbs. Jalapenos, cut into rounds (you know, like the ones you get at the store)
6 cloves garlic, quartered lengthwise
1 1/2 tsp. whole black pepper corns, coarsely crushed
1 scant tsp. corriander seeds, coarsely crushed
1 scant tsp. cumin seeds, coarsely crushed
4 allspice berries, coarsely crushed
Filtered tap water
Sea salt

1) Slice the jalapenos and garlic and crush the spices (I used a moarter and pestile) and toss it all together in a large bowl.

2) To mix your brine you will use a 5% salt to water ratio. This turns out to be 3 Tbsp. of sea salt for every quart of water (1 quart = 4 cups or 32 oz.). Make sure you dissolve the salt into the water completely.

Large Jar

3) Fill your jar with the jalapenos and then pour in the brine solution until there is enough to cover the jalapenos.

4) Once the jar is filled weight the jalapenos down with a baggie filled with water. It's best to do this in the sink as some of the liquid will be pushed out of the jar when you add the baggie. You want to keep all of the jalapenos submerged in the liquid so that they ferment rather than mold.

5) Let the jalapenos ferment at room temperature for 3-7 days and then transfer to the fridge.

Savory Kim Chi Pancakes

In certain parts of China savory pancakes are a popular dish. What I like about these pancakes is that making them with a dough rather than a batter makes them dense, crispy, and perfect for dipping. I think scallions are the most popular flavor for these kinds of pancakes in China, but they are the perfect vessel for spicy kim chi. Kim Chi is available in the Asian food refrigerated section of most large grocery stores these days, or you can make your own Kim Chi.

I use arrowroot powder to thicken the dipping sauce but you could replace it with corn starch if you want to. I learned about arrowroot powder when I dabbled with Macrobiotic food and I do prefer it to corn starch because it's said to be more easily digested and less acidic in the bloodstream than corn starch, it also makes a glossy rather than cloudy sauce.

For the Pancakes:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 c. unbleached allpurpose flour
1 1/4 c. minced kim chi
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper
3/4 c. boiling water with 1/2 tsp. sea salt dissolved in it
1 Tbsp. kim chi juice (added only if the dough is too dry to stick together)

For the Sauce:
1/2 c. shoyu, tamari or soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (or corn starch) dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water

1) In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, the pepper and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt and mix to combine.

2) In a small sauce pan bring the water and 1/2 tsp. of sea salt to a boil.

3) Pour the salted water into the bowl, add the minced kim chi and mix with a wooden spoon until a ball is formed. If the dough will not stick together add some kim chi juice or more water 1 Tbsp. at a time (you want the dough to be a little on the dry side rather than sticky and wet). Then, being careful of the heat, form a dough ball with your hands. Place a cloth over the dough in the bowl and let it rest for 30-40 minutes.

4) Once the dough has been allowed to rest, spray a little cooking spray on the counter and roll the dough out into a large oval shape with a rolling pin. Slice the large oval into two halves and roll them out a little more to make them closely resemble 2 large circles.

5) Heat about 2 tsp. of high heat oil (such as canola) in a frying pan over high heat. Add one of the large pancakes to the pan. Fry for about 5-7 minutes on the first side until it is browned and just starting to blacken. Flip it to the second side with a large spatula and fry the second side for about 3-5 minutes until browned and cooked through. Repeat with the second pancake.


6) Once you put the second of pancake in the pan, start to cook all of the ingredients of the sauce, except for the arrowroot and water, in a small sauce pan over medium heat. In a small bowl whisk together the arrowroot and water and add to the sauce once it comes up to a bubble. Let the sauce bubble while whisking constantly for 1 more minute after adding the arrowroot and then transfer to a serving bowl.

7) Slice the pancakes into smaller shapes, and you can either dip the pancakes in the sauce or drizzle it over the pancakes.

This makes 2 large pancakes, about 4 servings when sliced.

Tempeh Reuben

Prior to switching to a vegan diet I don't think I'd ever eaten a reuben in my life. Even as a child I didn't care for most meats and certainly not a big beefy sandwich with kraut, which I also didn't care for. After switching to a vegan diet I didn't really get into tempeh because it struck me as a "fake meat" substitute. Enter home made sour kraut, a little research on the origin of tempeh, and a husband who loved reubens.

Tempeh is a fermented soy bean or grain cake that originated in Indonesia and it is very high in vitamin B12. Here in the U.S. tempeh is pasteurized which kills all of the B12, but it's still a really cool food. It has a firm texture and takes on the flavors of any sauce or marinade used with it while still retaining it's own delicious flavor. It's easy to bake, saute and grill. To make a pleasurable vegan reuben I decided to brine the tempeh and make a home made vegan Russian dressing that negates the need for swiss cheese. I love this sandwich even though I never loved the original reuben, but the true testament to its deliciousness is my husband's preference for it.

For the brine:
8 oz. package of tempeh (try to get a cake that is a long rectangle rather than a square, if possible)
1 c. beer (any non-hoppy variety)
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp. sea salt
1 1/4 Tbsp. sugar

For the Russian dressing:
1/2 c. veganaise
1 rib celery, minced
2 Tbsp. minced shallot (about 1 large)
1 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the sandwiches:
8 oz. brined tempeh
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. russian dressing
4 ciabatta rolls
1/2 to 1 c. sour kraut

1) Prepare the brine by whisking together the ingredients in a wide glass bowl to dissolve the salt and sugar and set aside.

2) Slice the tempeh in half width wise to make two squares. Then slice each square in half lengthwise through the center forming two flat squares (not two little fat rectangles). Place the tempeh in the brine and submerge by weighting it down with a small ceramic plate or bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to over night.

3) Prepare the Russian dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

4) Once the tempeh has been brined heat a little olive oil in a saute pan and saute the tempeh until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes on each side.

5) To assemble the sandwiches, slice the ciabatta rolls in half and spread a layer of Russian dressing on each side. Lay the tempeh on the bottom half, top with sour kraut and secure the top of the roll in place with a toothpick.

This makes 4 sandwiches and is delicious when consumed with the same style of beer used to make the brine.

Kim Chi

 
For those of you who are not fortunate enough to have Korean friends who have introduced you to kim chi please let me do the honors. When we lived in California we were introduced to Korean culture through numerous Korean friends who were kind enough to share their table with us, most notably my dearest friend Twyla. Kim Chi is a fermented cabbage dish and it is the most well known traditional Korean food and, as I understand it, is a side dish at almost every Korean meal as well as an ingredient in various other dishes.

In 2001 we visited some of our closest friends in Thailand (Twyla and her brilliant husband Rob and artist son Toby) and were able to stop in South Korea on our way home. It was there that I discovered kim chi bokumbop, which I will share a recipe for later (after I ask Twyla how she made it), but my love of kim chi was solidified there. I wasn't aware of this until recently, but most kim chi has fish sauce or sea creatures in it. Eek! This necessitated the creation of a vegan kim chi recipe using soy sauce, lemon juice and sea salt to replace the fish sauce.

In researching for this recipe I watched dozens of youtube videos on making kim chi and I learned several lessons:

1) Kim chi can prevent or cure almost every illness including but not limited to: cancer, depression, heart disease and sexual dysfunctions.
2) Your cabbage must be rinsed 3 times after soaking.
3) You must wear comfortable clothes when you are making kim chi.
4) You should wear pink rubber gloves when mixing your kim chi. Note: I thought this seemed sissy until I did it without gloves a few hours ago...my hands still feel like they are on fire.
5) There are over 200 varieties of kim chi.
6) Korea grows the best cabbage in the world, and makes the best sea salt - better than France.
7) Korea introduced pickled vegetables to Japan, not the other way around.
8) Kim chi never goes bad.
9) Every one has one essential ingredient that must be added to their kim chi to make it the most delicious and perfect kim chi.

There are several methods for making kim chi. The traditional way is dry salting whole cabbage, I'm using a quicker method of cutting the cabbage into smaller pieces and soaking it in a salt brine.

5 lbs. Chinese or savoy cabbage (Chinese is the traditional cabbage used, I had to use savoy this time because I couldn't find any good Chinese cabbage in town)
1 leek, thinly sliced on the bias
5 green onions, julienned
2 small carrots, julienned
About 3/4 c. diakon radish, julienned
1 white onion, roughly chopped
10-12 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 c. tamari, shoyu or soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. dried hot chiles ground into a powder or Korean chile powder (I ground up Thai hot chiles that we had dried from our garden last year in the blender) 
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 c. rice flour or other flour
2-3 Tbsp. sugar

1) Slice your cabbage in quarters lengthwise and remove the portion of the core that is lodged on each section by cutting across it diagonally. Slice each quarter in half lengthwise and then chop into square pieces width wise (basically get the cores out and chop the cabbage into about 2" pieces.

 

2) The cabbage must then be soaked in a salt brine solution that is 15% salt to every 1 liter of water. The amount will depend on the size of the bowl or bowls you are using to soak the cabbage in. Let the cabbage soak for 3-5 hours in the salt brine and then rinse in clean water 3 times and drain. Turn the cabbage around in the brine occasionally to make sure all of the cabbage gets evenly soaked.

Rinsing the cabbage in a clean sink.

3) As the cabbage soaks, cut up the following vegetables and set aside in a bowl: leek, green onions, carrots and daikon radish.

 

4) In a small sauce pan combine the rice flour (or other flour) and water and cook until the mixture is thick enough to coat your spoon (about 5 minutes). Then add the sugar and stir to combine while cooking for another minute. Set this mixture aside to cool a bit.

 
5) In a food processor combine the white onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sea salt and lemon juice and puree and then transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

6) Add the flour and sugar mixture and the hot chile powder to the large bowl with the onion, garlic, ginger soy sauce mixture and stir to combine.

7) Next add the vegetables (leeks, green onions, etc.) to the chile paste and toss with your hands to completely combine. Here is where you should put on your pink rubber gloves. I am not usually sensitive to hot peppers and I wish I had worn gloves.

8) Next add the cabbage that has been brined and thrice rinsed and again toss with your begloved hands to completely coat the cabbage with the chile paste. When it is completely mixed transfer the kim chi to any kind of fermenting/storage container that is glass or ceramic. Since it only ferments for 1 or 2 days before refrigerating it is sensible to place it in whatever jar or jars you plan to store it in once it is transferred to the fridge (such as mason jars).

9) Let the kim chi stand at room temperature for 1 to 3 days and then transfer to the fridge. Or you can use some of it right away if you want to.

Germexican Beans

There is a precedent for this. According to Wikipedia a bunch of Germans started to immigrate to Mexico in the mid to late 19th century. That's where all of the bad Mexican lager beers come from. Why not, then, boil pinto beans in lager and then serve them with sour kraut atop toasted rye bread thus bringing together the fartiest foods from both cultures?

Germexican Beans on rye toast with sour kraut and rosemary garlic roasted potatoes.

1 lb. pinto beans, sorted, rinsed and soaked for 4-6 hours
1 white onion, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
6 bottles of a German or Mexican lager, something not very hoppy
1 Tbsp. sea salt

1) After the beans have been soaked, rinse them and place them in a large soup pot or dutch oven along with the onion and bay leaves and cover with about 3 bottles of beer.

2) Bring the beer to a boil and reduce the heat to a low boil (more than a simmer). As the beans cook continue to add more beer as the liquid evaporates to keep the beans submerged in a good amount of liquid. When you run out of beer you can just add water after that.

3) After the beans have cooked for about 2 hours add 1 Tbsp. of sea salt and start testing the beans for softness. When the beans are completely tender let the liquid start to evaporate until they are in a thick rather than watery sauce.
 
Serve on toasted rye bread spread with whole grain German style mustard and topped with sour kraut. This makes about 5 cups of beans. 

Fermented Cucumber Pickles (raw)

You know how when you start college or join a team or take a class where they want there to be a lot of discussion they always have everyone go around and, "Say your name and something interesting about yourself"? I hate that. As soon as you say something is interesting it ends up sounding dorky unless the interesting thing about yourself is that you invented post-its. So I always say, "My name is Sarah and I love pickles a lot" because it's already dorky. But I do, I love pickles a lot.

You know those delicious kosher dill pickles that cost $4 per jar? Yeah, these are like those but better, and you can get 5 or more pounds worth in one batch. But you really need to get some good, fresh pickling cucumbers. We got a 5 pound bag at the local farmer's market. So go find some and make these. As I said in my post detailing fermented sour kraut, raw fermented vegetables contain that good bacteria for your intestinal flora that people think you need to eat yoghurt to get.

Fresh pickling cucumbers from the Mankato Farmer's Market

5 lbs. of pickling cucumbers, washed
Filtered water
Sea salt
Any desired flavorings, this time we used:
15 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise
2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. allspice berries, lightly crushed
1 Tbsp. peppercorns, lightly crushed
6 stems of fresh dill flowers

1) Wash the cucumbers and place them in a large glass or ceramic jar or crock, making sure there is enough room to cover them with water and for the water to rise a little. We got a glass crock at Target for about $14.00.

2) Add your other spices and flavorings and intermingle them with the cucumbers.

3) Add the water and the salt by mixing them together in a measuring cup and stirring to dissolve the salt.
The amount is going to depend on the amount of cucumbers and the size and shape of your crock. The equation is that you need 3 Tbsp. of salt per 4 cups (32 oz.) of water. We had to mix 2 2/1 batches of water/salt solution and pour them over our cucumbers which turned out to be 10 cups of water and 7 1/2 Tbsp. of salt.

4) Once the cucumbers are submerged in water they must be weighted down to keep them submerged, you don't want floaters. We fill two 1 gallon baggies with water and double bag them and place them on top of the cucumbers.

5) Place the crock in a dry place that is not too hot and not too cold, about 65 degrees F (and it must be dark if you are using a glass crock), we use our hall closet. Let them ferment for about a 5-7 days. To make sure they're fermenting check for bubbles at the end of the first day or second day. When they taste like pickles and are still crisp they are done.

6) Once they are done transfer them to jars and cover them with the pickling liquid and store in the fridge for several months. Note: the liquid will become cloudy as they ferment.

Wild Fermented Sour Kraut (Raw)

In some ways home fermented sour kraut is very easy to make, but in other ways it's a little fussy. It's easy because all you have to do is chop the cabbage, salt it and keep it submerged in it's own liquid for about a month. It's fussy because you really do need a kitchen scale and a large crock with a lid (ceramic or glass) to do it properly, so if you don't have those things you need to go get them to make your own wild fermented kraut.

Even so, the end product is so vastly superior, in flavor and nutrition, to what you can buy in a store that it is completely worth it. Wild fermented sour kraut takes advantage of lactobacillus by using the salt to encourage an environment where it can thrive and win the battle against other harmful bacteria. Lactobacillus gives off the sour flavor characteristic of yoghurt, kraut and sour beers. It's also one of the "good bacterias" for your intestinal flora. Sadly, when kraut is pasteurized or caned by boiling all of those good bacteria are killed along with much of the delicious nutty flavor found in wild fermented sour kraut.

There is no particular measurement for how much kraut to make - make as much as you want to make. It's more of a mathematical equation. You want to have 2-2.5 % salt to cabbage ratio. It's easiest to measure in grams so if you are going to get a kitchen scale to do this, get one that measures in grams (preferably to .01 grams if possible). I'm totally nerding out now. Here's how I made it this time:

5 small heads of cabbage, quartered and cores removed (photo to follow)
Sea salt (as untreated as possible)
Other ingredients as desired (such as: garlic, onion, caraway, dill, fennel, peppercorns, mustard seeds, etc.)

1) Quarter each head of cabbage lengthwise so that you have four wedges. Cut across the bottom of each wedge diagonally so that you remove the portion of the core that is lodged there:

2) Place all of the core-less cabbage into a large bowl and weigh the cabbage making sure to write down the weight of the cabbage - in grams if possible:

3) Take the cabbage out of the large bowl (or use a second large bowl) and slice the cabbage very, very thinly placing the sliced cabbage back into the bowl.

4) To measure out the salt take the weight of your cabbage and multiply it but .02 to .025, whatever number you get weigh out that much sea salt (this is why it's easier to use grams, the small amount of salt is more accurately weighed in grams).

5) Have ready a large glass or ceramic fermenting crock. We got a large glass crock at Target for $14.00, but you can buy really fancy ceramic ones online for $200 if you want to. Working in batches, add several handfuls of cabbage to the bottom of your crock and sprinkle in some of the salt. Knead together the cabbage and salt with your hands. You want to have the cabbage covered with the salt which acts as an abrasive and starts to draw the liquid out of the cabbage:

6) Continue to add more cabbage and more salt while pressing down and turning the cabbage over to work the salt into the cabbage. You can also add any other ingredients you'd like to use (this time we tried it with about 2 Tbsp. caraway seeds and 15 very fresh garlic cloves from the farmer's market).

7) Once you have incorporated all of the salt and cabbage press down very hard to pack the cabbage as tightly as possible. This time we had very fresh cabbage from the farmer's market and it started to ferment almost immediately, you could even hear it bubbling like a fizzy pop:

8) Once the cabbage is packed tightly you must add some kind of weight to keep it pressed down and submerged in it's own liquid (in the above photo the cabbage had only been salted for about 3 minutes and was already submerged in it's own liquid. With less fresh cabbage it may take a bit longer for the juices to come out). The fancy fermenting crocks often come with weights that fit inside. We fill 2 one gallon baggies with water, double bag them to avoid leaks, and then place that on top of the cabbage and place two mason jars filled with water on top of the bags.  But we have a friend who is an artist that works with ceramics that is making weights to fit into our glass jar - I can't wait (I'll add a photo when we get them)!

9) Place the lid on the crock. If you use a glass fermenting crock, place it in a dark place (we use our hall closet) that's not too hot and not too cold. It will probably need to ferment for about a month (make sure to write down the date you made the kraut!). Take it out to check it once in a while, you want to make sure it stays submerged in the liquid. If any bits float to the top they may mold and you an just scrape them out and discard. If the cabbage does not release enough liquid to remain submerged, add a little filtered water. Once it's been fermenting for at least 20 days you can start tasting little bits, when it gets to a sourness you like you can call it done. It can then be transferred to mason jars and stored in the fridge for at least 6 months if not longer...but it will never last that long.

I posted a recipe for bangers and mash earlier that uses kraut. I also have a recipe for a tempeh reuben that is really good which I will post later. I'm going to try to ferment my own tempeh soon, so that recipe will be coming up as well. I will also post recipes that use the left over kraut juice in the future.