Kimchi

In New Leaves issue no 98 Frank Bowman included a Kimchi recipe. He had this to say about it:
"We are experimenting with making Kimchi, a Korean salted fermented cabbage, and the finished product is said to contain probiotics, and necessary vitamins including B12. Joshua, who is here from Sadhana Forest, a project at Auroville in India, said that they suffered from vitamin B12 deficiency there, and Kimchi was regularly made and eaten as part of the vegan diet there and it solved this problem. It is similar to sauerkraut, which I think is delish mixed with apple and eaten with veggie sausage. So far it has been airtight in a big pot for four days - just had a taste, it's good! Tastes like salty tangy coleslaw."

Kimchi recipe
1 head of cabbage
2 medium carrots
2-3 tablespoons salt, or to taste (sea salt is best)

Slice cabbage into thin stripts (coleslaw size).
Put in a large pot and add salt.
Crush and knead the salt into the cabbage with your knuckles until it becomes translucent and cloudy.
Shred carrots, add into the pot and mix well.
Cover the pot with a towel or plastic bag, put on the lid thus excluding air.
Leave (without taking the lid off) for three days to a week.

I decided to make this as I have read that fermented vegetables like sauerkraut are indeed very healthy providing our guts with the probiotics we need. They are much more plentyful in fermented foods than in anything else. It is possible to ferment many different vegetables. Sauerkraut that I have bought is made only with cabbage and salt. It can be eaten with anything.

My kimchi is a little too salty, although still edible and quite nice. Next time I shall use less salt. I think my cabbage was small and I did not use it all wanting to make some coleslaw with it too. On the other hand, my carrots were quite big, so my kimchi is orangey.

MCL AGM and Social Weekend

I have spent the day settling into the quiet of my everyday life after walking the last of the AGM attendees to the bus stop and watching the bus speed away. After such a busy weekend it has been difficult to get down to any work.

The AGM on Saturday had most of the usual members present. After lunch we got down to business which took the whole of the afternoon. Two members had to leave a little before the end and one more left at the end of the meeting. The others stayed for the night and we had a pleasant evening with a good meal and conversation.

On Sunday morning some went to visit the local forest garden while others stayed in. Swansea Vegans joined us for potluck lunch after which some went for a walk - some up the mountain, others by the river. A couple of MCL people left as they had a long way to go. After the walk more eating and talking followed. By early evening there was only one MCL member keeping me company. And now even she has gone.