Swiss Chard Kim Chi

Here at Avalon Gardens, when we have an abundance of a particular vegetable, we love finding new ways of preserving it. One of the most sustainable and healthy ways to preserve food is to ferment it. People have been fermenting foods for both storage and to help their digestive health for thousands and thousands of years. It goes by many names: saurkraut, kimchee, tsukemono, or many other names. The scientific name for this process is lactic acid fermentation. It has this name because it contains the same bacterial cultures as cheese and yogurt. Lacto-bacilli are found everywhere in nature and in very high concentrations on common garden vegetables, as well as pasture grasses. (As the animals graze, they take in this beneficial bacteria and it gets tranferred to their milk, thus the name lacto-bacilli.) See the simple kimchee recipe below.We have included a bag of Swiss Chard Kim Chee with your share this week. You can use this as a condiment to put on a variety of foods. It goes great in small amounts as a side dish with just about any meal. This particular mix has a little spice to it, so use sparingly.

Simple Mixed Greens Kim Chi

Note: The fermentation process is very simple and safe. However, it is very important to have a clear working space and use very clean kitchen tools in order to prevent contamination of you culture by unfriendly bacteria. It is a good idea to wipe everything you use down with a diluted rubbing alcohol solution to ensure cleanliness.

* Take the greens of your choice and chop them up to the desired size (some like it finer, some coarser). Add spices to taste. Garlic, ginger, hot pepper flakes, etc. are all good additions.
* Place chopped ingredients in a large bowl (Make sure it is not a metal bowl, as metal can kill the good bacteria.) For every 4 cups of chopped greens add 2 tablespoons of salt.
* With a wooden mallet, pound greens until very mushy.
* Get a ceramic plate that is large enough to cover the greens.
* Press down on the plate until the juices rise to the top. Fill another smaller bowl with water and place on top of the plate. The weight of this bowl should keep the plate under the water level. If it still isnt under the water level, add some brine solution, which is one tablespoon of salt per one cup of water.
* Place a clean cloth over the top and let sit at around 65 degrees for 3-7 days, depending on how strong you like it. Feel free to taste it at any point in the process to get a better idea of what the fermentation is doing to the flavor of the veggies.
* If you begin to see a white mold forming on the surface of the water, have no fear, this is a perfectly normal yeast formation. Just remove with you hands or a clean wooden spoon and discard.