Recipes

Wash the cabbage, discarding torn or wilted outer leaves. Cut into 1-2″ pieces. Get out your largest bowl. Put a 1/3 of the cabbage in bowl and sprinkle generously with salt, about 2 T. Put another 1/3 of the cabbage in the bowl and salt; finish with the remaining 1/3. Now fill the bowl with water to cover the cabbage. Add another 3-4 T. salt to make a brine. Let the cabbage soak for 4-5 hours. Drain cabbage in a colander and put hot pepper flakes in the now empty large bowl. Combine in a blender the salted shrimp, minced garlic, and ginger and puree until smooth. Add a bit of water as necessary to make a paste. Put the puree, sugar and fish sauce in the large bowl and combine to make a thick paste. Add a bit of water if necessary. Taste and adjust sugar or salt. It will be very intense. Now add the scallions, carrots, and jalapeno slices and combine all the ingredients. Add the drained cabbage to the paste and use your hands to gently massage the paste into the leaves until they’re well-coated. Find two big 1/2 gallon glass jars and stuff the cabbage into the jars, pressing down to prevent air pockets. Cap tightly and let it rest at room temperature for 2 days. Put it in the fridge and let it ferment for another 1-2 weeks. Kimchi is delicious with almost anything, but I love it best with a bowl of steaming hot white rice.