Kid-Friendly Kimchi
(courtesy of Kelsey Hoffman and Urban Roots in Reno. Makes 2 quarts)
1 head Napa cabbage, chopped
2 daikon radishes, grated
¼ cup salt
Ginger root, grated, to taste
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes or paste, to taste
Green onions or chives, minced, to taste
6 small carrots, grated
Fennel seed, crushed, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
“For fun, we add chard leaves and stalks and baby cabbage leaves, massaged and torn up by the kiddos,” Hoffman says.
Place chopped cabbage in large bowl and massage with salt to extract juices. Cover cabbage with water for 30 minutes, making sure cabbage remains submerged. Rinse cabbage three times and return to bowl.
Add in all other ingredients and massage together. Continue massaging until all ingredients are submerged in their own juices.
Place in airtight container, pressing ingredients below brine. Refrigerate. Taste every few days until it’s fermented to your liking, pressing ingredients under the brine each time. Best eaten after two weeks in fridge but can be eaten immediately.