A man named Leonard Barrett, who runs the phenomenal organization Permaculture for Renters introduced me to the magic of this book and set me up with my first sauerkraut-making experience. I was hooked. I went home and drove my mother crazy with my smelly, bubbly concoctions. I tried millet porridge, pesto ferment, fruit kimchi, and sweet potato kraut. I had a patient, open-minded, indulgent boyfriend who ate all of them and claimed to like every one. And then I moved to a new place and met Susan. Susan taught me to make spicy kimchi, and I knew I had found my true love.
I currently have three types of kimchi stored for the winter:
Bland kimchi: purple cabbage, chinese cabbage, carrots, turnips, ginger, onions, garlic (all local, even the ginger!)
Spicy kimchi: purple cabbage, chinese cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, hot peppers, garlic, and kelp seaweed (all local except the ginger, due to cost, and the seaweed, although I later learned that I do have access to local seaweed)
Apple kimchi: apples, pineapple, onions, almonds, hot peppers, ginger (in this one, only the apples, onions, and hot peppers are local...ginger, again too expensive, and almonds and pineapple are just sort of garnishes to add a bit of flavor and protein...I honestly can't recall whether I splurged on pricey organic almonds or gave in to temptation and low prices...it's a 50/50 on that one)
A NOTE ON ORGANICS: I am pretty serious about organics. If I don't mention that something is organic, you can assume that it is. I will mention it if, on the rare occasion, it is not.
Posts
Do you follow the raw almonds issue? http://www.cornucopia.org/2009/03/despite-legal-setback-raw-almond-fight-continues/ if you don't know what I'm talking about. I hate it that nuts (almonds particularly) are so expensive organic and non because they're such an awesome food. If only I'd known that the annoying pecans all over our yards and streets for months and months were worth $15/lb I would have become and 8 yr old millionaire.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to P4R. I have been working on some of these projects in my own apartment. I have my first fruit tree and an EarthBox full of herbs on the balcony. I think my next project might be tons of tiny funnels on the railing to collect some of the Florida winter storms. I think this will work well with the EarthBox as it already uses a reservoir. My biggest goal is to create a cyclical ecosystem for my guinea pigs that would involve edible grasses and earthworms. I know worms love piggie bedding and poop and I think it could all work, I just haven't figured out a reasonable design yet. I have the space for some mini gardening, but not for a wood workshop, sadly.
ReplyDeleteHi Caitlin,
ReplyDeleteOnce, when I was a kid, I got in trouble for selling a small bag of hand-shelled pecan halves to a friend for like 25 or 50 cents because I was supposedly ripping her off. But upon reading your comment, I think I should have fought for the fair market value of my nuts! Thanks so much for sharing that almonds link. I was totally unaware of that and cannot begin to imagine any actual agricultural/public health reason why a nut would need to be fumigated. The price issue, however, I think is more closely related to the honey-bee colony collapse disorder affecting pollination of the trees. I am searching for clear articles on the subject.
Excited to hear about your home permaculture projects...please keep me posted!
Jeanell