Spanish Needles Kimchi

INTRODUCTION

Kimchi is a delicious ferment packed with flavor and probiotics. Eat it alone or with any of your favorite savory dishes. We’re super grateful to the wonderful Pascal Baudar and his work with wild food; this is an adaptation of his recipe, from his book The New Wild Crafted Cuisine.

You can view the recipe and buy the book here.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups finely shredded Spanish Needles greens

1 1/2 cups cabbage, sliced into ribbons; reserve the largest leaves

5-8 garlic cloves

3/4 cup chili powder, spicy or not, up to you!

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon salt

STEP 1

Clean and cut your vegetables.

STEP 2

Make a paste with the garlic, onion and chili powder, using a blender or mortar and pestle.

STEP 3

Wash your hands really well with soap and water. Then mix all the ingredients together, massaging as you go. If you’re sensitive to odor or using really spicy chili powder, use gloves for this step.

STEP 4

Pack the mixture tightly into a clean, sterilized jar. The jar should be about 3/4 full, no more.

STEP 5

Make a brine, adding the salt to the water and mixing until it completely dissolves. Pour it into the jar, leaving 1 to 1 1/2 inches clear at the top.

STEP 6

Push the large cabbage leaves down on top of the veggie mixture so that the ingredients are completely submerged in the brine. Weigh it all down with a clean, sterilized fermentation weight or stone.

STEP 7

Place the jar on a plate, so as to catch any liquid that spills over. Loosely attach the jar lid, do not tighten it – air is an essential factor in the fermentation.

STEP 8

Allow the kimchi to ferment for 3-4 days, out of direct sunlight, occasionally pushing down on the weight / stone to release any gases below.

STEP 9

Check the kimchi. If it needs to ferment longer, let it. If you like the taste, remove the weights and leaves and tighten the lid, storing it in the refrigerator. Use within a month.