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!

My CSA share of veggies had some Hakurei turnips, which were new to me, so I had to make something new. I had some yellow potatoes and tempeh, so I made a hearty meal using the turnips and their greens.

The result: Roasted Turnips and Potatoes with Tempeh Loaf and Sautéed Turnip Greens… trust me on this one.

I quartered the potatoes and turnips, tossed them in olive oil, sea salt, and pepper, and let them roast in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or so, until the potatoes were done. It couldn’t be more simple.

I made my delicious Tempeh Loaf, which is always an enjoyable main dish. Tempeh loaf is easy. I don’t shape it like a traditional meatloaf, as you can see from my pie plate in the photo, but I still call it tempeh loaf since it is replacing meatloaf on my table.

I use:

• a package of tempeh
• 1 medium sized yellow onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 TB dijon mustard
• 2 TB Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2-3 slices of bread, crumbled
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan

I like tempeh loaf with ketchup, so I spiced up some simple organic 365 brand ketchup with Savory Spice Shop’s Red Rocks Hickory Smoke Seasoning. As I’ve said before… everything is better when you add Savory Spice Shop’s spices into the mix!

Finally, I sauteéd the turnip greens in a little white wine and olive oil for just a few minutes until they turned a bright shade of green. I removed them from heat and added a little maple syrup and dijon mustard, as well as dehydrated shallots from… of course, Savory Spice Shop.

A sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and you have yourself a meal.