I am always pleased when a hodgepodge of ingredients cleans out the fridge AND creates a meal. This dinner is an example.

I had some brie in the fridge, rye bread in the freezer, and came home with frisee from my CSA with Ollin Farms. I was going to grill some tempeh, but them we realized we were out of cat food (wet food for a treat, not the dry food we leave out all day… don’t want to sound like I neglect my cat). So, we opened some home-canned tuna so Owsley could snack on the juice. As a side note: I did not can the tuna myself, Debbie, my mother-in-common-law, cans it each year and gives us a great supply.

I sliced half of a golden delicious apple and layered it with some brie and Urfa Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (also known as Isot pepper). If you don’t know what Urfa pepper is, you can find out at Savory Spice Shop. Assuming you don’t have any at home… I would crack some fresh black pepper and add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Or, better yet… go to their website and buy some. Why not?

I baked the apple and brie at 350 for just a few minutes until the cheese melted.

Meanwhile, I sauteed 1/2 of a red onion, chopped, in a little olive oil until it softened. Then I transfered it to a small bowl and added a little Tangerine Fig Balsamic Vinegar that I received as a gift. To substitute, I’d add a little honey to some balsamic and mix that in with the onion.

I went back to my pan and added some frisee to wilt it with a clove of minced garlic in some olive oil. Then I plated the meal:

Wilted frisee and chopped tomato with onion balsamic dressing, real fisherman caught and former fisherman’s wife canned tuna, sliced rye, and baked apples with brie.

Turned out to be pretty good, especially for the hodgepodge of ingredients.

With one head of napa cabbage from Ollin Farm’s CSA I made Kimchi. With the second head, I tried the Japanese version: Kimuchi.

Again, I followed the instructions in The Joy of Pickling:

• 1 head napa cabbage, cored
• 3.5 TB pickling salt
• 1 medium sized carrot, thinly sliced and slivered
• 1 apple, coarsely grated
• 3 scallions chopped into thin rounds
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 TB Korean ground dried hot pepper (thanks again to Savory Spice Shop)
• 1 cup water

The book says to halve the cabbage and then quarter it to gently separate the leaves, and then sprinkle them with 3 tablespoons of salt, rubbing it into the leaves. Set this aside in a large bowl, covered with a weighted plate for 8-10 hours.

Next, drain and rinse the cabbage, gently squeezing out excess liquid. Cut the cabbage into 1-inch squares, mix with the rest of the ingredients, pack into a jar, and wait… with a loosely fit lid for 3-6 days. Then tighten the lid and store in the fridge.

Definitely consult a legitimate reference for any canning or pickling. I am no expert here!

Our CSA from Ollin Farms had 2 large heads of napa cabbage. I had never bought napa cabbage. Never cooked with it. Never did anything with it, ever. So, I had no idea what to do with 2 large heads of napa cabbage.

I googled it… turns out napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, is often used for Kimchi. Since my sister-in-law (or common-in-law if that exists?) lives in Korea, I happen to know what Kimchi is. It is a staple in Korean diets, made of fermented Chinese cabbage.

I recently bought a book titled The Joy of Pickling, and I followed its Kimchi recipe, which reads as follows:

• 3 TB plus 1 tsp pickling salt
• 6 cups water
• 1 large head napa cabbage, cored and cut into 2-inch squares
• 6 scallions, slivered lengthwise and cut into 2 inch slivers
• 1.5 TB minced fresh ginger
• 1.5 TB minced garlic
• 2 TB Korean ground dried hot pepper
• 1 tsp sugar

Next, you pack it into a large jar, cover the top with some brine, put a bag into the top of the jar and fill that with brine, and then let it sit and ferment for 3-6 days. We’ll see if I like it.

By the way: I had all of the ingredients at home except for Korean dried peppers, so I went to Savory Spice Shop. Wouldn’t you know… they sell Korean dried peppers!

I ground them in my mortar and pestle. Once again, Savory Spice Shop saved the day!

I make a lot of Asian-inspired tofu dishes, so I decided to think outside of my box. I was in the mood for something with BBQ sauce, but wasn’t going to grill. I had a some beautiful Bok Choy from Ollin Farm’s CSA, which I absolutely love. I came up with a BBQ Sauce Tofu and Bok Choy Saute and served it over wild rice. Very satisfying.

First, I planned a little ahead and removed a firm tofu from the freezer to thaw all day. Then, I made a sauce with:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 TB soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
• 1/2 TB dried ginger
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• a splash of fish sauce
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 cup water