Kraut – Guest Blog Post

I asked my friend Mike if he would mind sharing his sauerkraut recipe on my blog.  The kraut he brought over last week was, quite literally, one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted.  It’s the kind of condiment that can be eaten straight out of the jar, or added to a million other dishes… like on top of a bed of lettuce, over rice and tofu, or, sure, why not on a hotdog?  Kraut is ridiculously easy to make.  You basically just soak vegetables on your counter under salty water for a week or two.  Check out the books he recommends.  Then try and it bring a jar over for me!  

From Mike: 

Sauerkraut!  Super delicious and nutritious . . . Teamin’ with probiotic bacteria and beneficial enzymes!   Fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut have been celebrated world-wide as a healthful delectable for thousands of years.  Famously, Captain Cook kept his crew healthy and free of scurvy by carrying and consuming barrels of sauerkraut on long sea voyages where fresh produce was scarce. 

This sauerkraut was made with green and purple cabbage, thinly sliced beets and carrots, salt and spices (seeds of: mustard, caraway, cumin, coriander, celery, & peppercorns) and was fermented at room temperature.  I usually ferment the vegetables for about 1-3 weeks (sometimes more) depending on ambient temperature and how sour I want them (longer duration for more sour).  Warmer temperatures speed up the fermentation.  

 

I fermented the kraut in a glass jar with a glass lid that clamps down, sealed by a rubber gasket that lets some CO2 and pressure out, but prevents O2 from getting in, which keeps the crock anaerobic.  You can use a mason jar, or a ceramic crock, etc.  After about 10 years of making kraut, I’ve settled on the 1/2 to 1 gallon glass jars with hermetic gasket seals (unless I’m making a large batch that requires 5 gallon crocks or buckets).  I make sure the kraut is submerged under its own brine, often using a rock to weigh it down.    

 

Finished kraut should be stored in the refrigerator, and eaten raw (to preserve the probiotics) with just about anything!   

 

Fermentation Resources

Books

The Wild Fermentation Book by Sandor Ellix Katz – a seminal guide to D.I.Y. (do it yourself) fermentation of all sorts. Great easy to follow step by step recipes and inspirational stories. This book and the author have attained cult status among fermentors.

 

The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz – The sequel to the Wild Fermentation Book incorporating years of collected knowledge of varying practices from around the globe. More of a reference guide.

 

The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich. The compendium of pickle recipes!

 

The Blue Book Guide to Preserving – Lots of practical step by step recipes for canning. A few recipes for fermented comestibles as well.

 

Olive Trees and Honey – A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World – by Gil Marks. Fantastic cookbook not only for the recipes, but for the context given for each recipe, sometimes including maps, cross-cultural synonyms and variations.

 

Websites

www.wildfermentation.com Website of Sandor Katz. Keep current with fermentation culture, workshops, articles, etc. http://www.wildfermentation.com/fermentation-links/

 

Local folks

http://fermentchange.wordpress.com/ – Ferment Change is a collective of local fermentor activists that put on occasional fermentation events (workshops, home-brew tastings by bike, etc.).

 

There are of course many many more resources out there, but this will get you started. 

 

Farro Salad

I have been making lots of farro salads recently. They are hearty enough to eat as a light lunch, and make a perfect side dish for quiche, soup, or meat/fish.
To start, cook the farro. I use the rice cooker, and a 2:1 water:grain ratio. Then add any of these combinatons. Definitely let me know if you have other ideas for add-ins! Salt and pepper these to taste.

#1:
– roasted butternut squash cubes
– goat cheese
– capers
– chopped red onion
– fresh thyme
– olive oil and balsamic vinegar

#2 (adapted from Cooking Light):
– chopped apple
– chopped celery
– chopped red onion
– bite-sized pieces of smoked salmon
– lemon juice and olive oil

#3:
– roasted butternut squash cubes (love these!)
– crumbled feta cheese
– two raw kale leaves, shredded
– lemon juice
– chopped red onion (again!)
– capers or small, salty olives
– truffle oil (trader joe’s makes a nice fake one)

Butternut Squash Soup with a Twist

This one is perfect for a chilly fall evening.

Ingredients:
– one small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
– one onion, chopped
– two celery stalks, chopped
– one chipotle chile in adobo sauce
– a teaspoon or so of cumin
– one or so cups frozen corn
– chopped cilantro, avocado, and/or crumbled tortilla chips for garnish

Steps:
1.  Toss the butternut squash in some olive oil to coat, spread it on a baking sheet, and bake it in 350 degree oven until tender (about 45 mins). You could also just put it in a bowl with some water and nuke it for 5 minutes or so. And, if you really want this to go fast, you can buy pre-chopped butternut squash.

2. Saute the onions in a soup-pot until translucent.

3. Stir in celery and adobe chile.

4. Add baked (or nuked) butternut squash, and cover with enough water so the veggies are submerged at least two inches.

5. Simmer until everything is soft.

6. Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

7. Add frozen corn and salt to taste.

Serve with garnish. I think a dab of sour cream might taste good too!  Mmmmmm. Enjoy! And leave a comment if you try it.