48 large Pastured Eggs, hard boiled and peeled 4 cups apple cider vinegar 1 onion, sliced 8 habanero peppers 7 jalapeno peppers 2 Tbsp red pepper flakes 5 dashes of hot sauce of choice 2 Tbsp salt 3 Tbsp mustard seed 3 pinches alum 4 Tbsp peppercorns 5 cloves of garlic 1 cup carrots, sliced 1 cup cauliflower, sliced
Instructions
Combine all ingredients other than eggs in a large saucepan. Boil for 15 minutes.
Put eggs in large glass jars or preferred pickling containers. Pour boiled mixture over eggs and lightly stir to distribute ingredients. If you didn’t fill the whole container, top it off with hot water.
Refrigerate the spicy pickled eggs for 2 weeks. Enjoy.
Wash four 12 oz or pint size jars – prepare 2 jars for every pound of okra. You can sanitize in a dishwasher, or steam them in a large pot to sanitize after washing. Inspect jars to make sure there are no cracks or chips in the glass.
Sprinkle peppercorns, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in the bottom of each jar, approximately 1/4 tsp of each. Add a clove of garlic or chile flakes if desired.
Wash okra in a colander under cold running water. As you are washing and filling, look out for and remove any foreign material (leaves, insects, etc) that should not be in the finished product.
Fill jars by arranging okra in an alternating pattern: pointy and fat ends going in both directions, so that you can pack as much as possible into the jar. It helps to hold the jar horizontally or at an angle while filling. Use firm but gentle pressure to push okra into the jar and eliminate empty spaces. If you push so hard the okra splits that is too hard. The okra should not shift if you tilt the jar. It should not float when you add brine. Do not use any okra that is so long it would prevent the jar lid from closing properly. Taller okra that is should be placed with the fat end on the bottom of the jar, pointy end up, as they are more flexible and the lid can still close if they touch it slightly. The size of okra varies throughout the season and on field conditions. When smaller pieces are present, use these to fill in at the top and jam as many in as you can. When the okra is larger, make it like a puzzle and try to fit as many pieces as tightly into the jar as possible. If there are woody/rough stems, trim them neatly before placing the okra in the jar.
While packing jars, prepare and heat the brine. *PREPARE IN STAINLESS STEEL or Non-Reactive POT ONLY (aluminum leaches and reacts with acidic foods) 2 cups white vinegar or apple cider vinegar 2 cups filtered water 1/4 cup (4 TBSP) sea salt optional: sugar or cane syrup to taste (start with 1-2 TBSP) heat on medium high, stir until salt and sugar are dissolved. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn down to the lowest flame to keep it hot. Fill the jars with hot brine carefully, pouring over the okra up to the beginning of the threads on the jar. A pitcher works better for this than a ladle and jar funnel. Avoid getting brine onto the rim of the jar as it has to be cleaned off and can grow mold later.
Close the jar lid firmly and wipe off any spilled brine with a damp towel. Let jars cool and then store in refrigerator for the crunchiest texture. Best flavor develops after three days in the refrigerator. Keeps at least six months to a year.
To can the okra for pantry storage, boil the sealed jars in a hot water bath (covering the lids at least 1″) for 10 minutes. Remove from hot water, let cool overnight, then check the seal has formed properly. Keeps at least on year in a cool, dark location.
Do you have several napa cabbage and other random CSA veggies hanging out in the bottom of your fridge? Here is one way to preserve them and enjoy a spicy, sour, crunchy treat that is rich in probiotics. Jeff, a CSA work-trade member of the farm, shared this recipe with us. He ferments about half of his weekly share to keep up with the harvest and preserve some of these goodies for later.
You’ll need a scale for this recipe, it is important to weigh out the cabbage and salt. You’ll also need clean jars and lids (re-used pickle jars or wide mouth canning jars are fine), and some very large pots or bowls to mix everything. Make sure to have very clean hands, too.
15 lbs. chopped Napa cabbage 7 ½ T. salt (or ½ T. salt per pound) Mix salt with the cabbage and let wilt for a few hours, while chopping the other vegetables and making the pepper sauce. This will make it easier to pack into the jars.
3 ½ lbs (or more) chopped carrots, daikon radishes, onions, leeks, sunchokes, etc.
3 C pepper sauce (recipe follows)
Add the other chopped vegetables to the wilted cabbage, and mix in pepper sauce (recipe below).
Pepper Sauce – Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor 3 C dried hot peppers, such as Anaheim, chile, cayenne, etc. (we recommend milder peppers, or look for Korean chile flakes…cayenne is too hot) 1 C powdered brown rice (you can grind this in a coffee grinder) 3 C water 2 C fish sauce (optional) 5 cloves garlic, pureed in ¼ C water (we added more) ¼ C dried ginger, or fresh to taste (we added more)
For a less spicy version, try adding only ginger and garlic. You could add paprika for the red color but no spice.
Mix all ingredients together and pack into jars, leaving space at the top for the Kim Chi to expand as it ferments. Lid the jars, leaving enough looseness for the carbon dioxide to escape as it ferments. Set in a bowl or deep pan to catch any juices that escape, and let ferment for 3-7 days, to taste. Check jars and keep the top of the kimchi submerged in brine by pressing down with a clean utensil or the bottom of a small jar. You can also place a cabbage leaf on top if you like while it’s fermenting. When it is finished, tighten lid and refrigerate.
You can make this dish with a meat, vegetable or anchovy broth. I used homemade anchovy broth (see instructions below). It’s a delicious way to use every part of the daikon. I’ve made this with other vegetables as well, carrots, zucchini, celery. You can make this dish with anything vegetable you happen to have on hand in the fridge.
1/4 cup fermented soy bean paste (see image below) 1 cup homemade anchovy broth 1 bunch korean daikon including greens part **cut daikon in thinly sliced squares and chop greens 1 yellow onion 1 package of firm tofu 1/2 bunch of scallions
Directions: 1. Combine soybean paste, water and anchovy broth in a large pot and bring to a boil. Stirring occasionally to break down the paste. 2. Add daikon, greens, and onion. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. If you like the vegetables softer, cook for longer. The greens can be tough sometimes so you may want to check the texture of the greens and cook longer if you want a softer bite. 3. Add tofu and scallions right before serving. 4. Serve with Rice and Kimchi
Homemade Anchovy Broth:
I make a large batch of this broth and freeze in 1 cup portions to have it easily available.
Ingredients: 8 oz of dried dashi anchovies (see image below) 8 cups of water 2 large pieces of dashima kelp (see image below)
Directions: combine all ingredients and boil for 20 minutes. Let cool, strain and store.
You can purchase these Korean ingredients at most Asian markets
Korean daikon are in season!!! There are many different types of daikon. The most common one you see in grocery stores is the Japanese kind which is long and white, whereas the Korean version looks oval and short. I love this dish, it’s great on it’s own, in a rice bowl, or as a side to any Korean meal. The recipe is tangy, sweet, spicy and refreshing at the same time. The key to really good Saeng Chae is to julienne the daikon very thin. You can use a mandolin but I find it easier to hand chop it.
1 bunch thinly julienned Korean Daikon 1/2 small carrot, finely julienned 1 tablespoon Korean pepper powder 1 teaspoons minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt to start (adjust to taste) 1/2 teaspoon sugar to start (adjust to taste) 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoon white vinegar 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 1 scallion finely chopped, green parts only
Direction: combine all ingredients except sesame seeds and scallion, let set for 1 hour (or even longer). Serve with sesame seed and scallion garnish and enjoy!
