We have big and beautiful napa cabbage for you this week, as well as almost everything you need to make a great kimchi (or stir fry). We won't have Napa again until fall, so it's time to make your summer kimchi now!
Fermenting is actually so easy and doesn't require any special equipment. All you need is a large jar (or a couple smaller ones) to make a small batch. I like to use a small jar or a ziploc bag filled with water to weigh the veggies down and keep them under the brine. To be safe, I usually double up ziploc bags just in case one were to split, so the water doesn't have a chance to ruin my brine.
A lot of kimchi recipes require you to make a salt brine and soak your napa cabbage for 24 hours, but I find I get the same result from simply salting the cabbage like I do for sauerkraut, like this recipe does. That way you don't need to bully a giant napa cabbage into staying submerged in a giant bowl and come back to it the next day.
I also love to grate a few carrots in there too, and use salad turnips in place of Daikon Radish and they have a similar flavor and texture and they're available for your box this week!
Kimchi is a great way to make a simple veggie stir fry pop, and is great to get more probiotics into your diet, not to mention it's salty and packed with electrolytes for rehydration in this heat.
Once I have my kimchi, one of my favorite easy dinners is Kimchi Fried Rice with whatever other veggies I have on hand. It's an easy weeknight meal that is flavorful and satisfying and the leftovers are great reheated for lunch. It's definitely on my list for this coming week.
If you aren't up for making kimchi this week, these are the last of the sweet, crunchy salad turnips for now headed your way until fall, so I've got another great tip for them. Try these Turnip and Bacon Fritters. They're one of my favorite ways to make a pile of veggies into a substantial meal.
We hope you're finding ways to stay cool this week,
Ashley, Caleb and the Sungrounded Crew
