This Mother’s Day, we were able to take over my mother’s kitchen and really go to town on cooking some recipes not just for food for the week, but for me to pay homage to my mom, who really turned me on to cooking.  One of my favorite recipes she used to always make for me is her seafood fettuccine alfredo, which is absolutely to die for.  It is also full of dairy and wheat.  While I love that recipe, it definitely doesn’t fit into my current lifestyle, and I would hate to remember it for how it would inevitably make me feel now than how great it tasted.

After a lot of thinking on how to remake this dish, and make alfredo without cream, I finally had a breakthrough.  Great, full-fat coconut milk usually has the fat separated naturally at the top.  Why not use this as the cream?  Of course, we also didn’t put in tons (read: any) of parmesan and romano cheeses into this either, but I’m sure you could, should the mood strike you/if you have high quality grass-fed hard cheeses at hand.  The whole preparation of this recipe takes about 45 minutes, but it is totally worth it.  You can’t taste the coconut flavor at all.  Plus, this is also great cold for leftovers, which is my ultimate test for good food.  I also want to say thanks to Pure Indian Foods for sending us a sample of their cultured ghee.  It’s slightly tangy and delicious.  We are always trying to introduce more cultured foods into our diet, and I think this ghee might become a new staple in the pantry.

Ingredients
1 C cream from full-fat coconut milk (2 14.5oz cans will supply)
6 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 white onion, diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp cultured ghee
1 C baby scallops, uncooked
1 C medium shrimp, tails off and cooked
1 tsp chive
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 large zucchini, made into zoodles

Method

Prepare your onions and garlic.  Chop the onions finely, and either mince or use a garlic press for the garlic.  Also, separate the cream from the coconut milk into a measuring cup.

In a medium sauté pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil on medium low heat.  Add the onions, and sauté until translucent, approximately 4-5 minutes.

Add garlic, and continue to sauté until fragrant.

Pour in coconut cream and mix.  Add in seafood and ghee and simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the seafood so that it does not toughen.  It’s inevitable that you will also get some of the onion and garlic in the mix.

Reduce heat to a simmer, and chop your herbs.

Add the herbs, and reduce the sauce about 50%.  This took us about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This is the best time to make those zoodles)

Remove from heat, reintroduce seafood, and top over zoodles.

This will serve approximately 4 people; but if you have more than 4 people or you’re just super hungry, I would recommend making double.

]]> http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/15/seafood-alfredo/feed/ 1 vahuntergatherers seafood alfredo coconut milk chopped onion onions onions and garlic seafood alfredo seafood chopped herbs herb alfredo seafood alfredo seafood alfredo http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/15/seafood-alfredo/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VirginiaIsForHunter-gatherers/~3/b6Pjrob19hc/ http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/14/preparing-zoodles/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 23:03:45 +0000 Brent Schrader (virginia is for hunter-gatherers) http://vahuntergatherers.com/?p=1488 ]]>

Several people have asked how to make zoodles, as we use them for a lot of recipes and they’re a nice grain-free alternative to pasta.  Like the post we did on cauliflower rice, this is a quick how-to for your reference.

Method

Taking a zucchini (or yellow squash), use a julienne peeler to create noodle-like strands.  Stop peeling when you start to hit the core of the plant, as that doesn’t make great zoodles.  You can chop up the remainder in breakfast scrambles or other types of casseroles.

Heat up 1 tablespoon of your favorite fat (ghee, coconut oil, olive oil) and sauté for 5-ish minutes, until some color comes out.  We often leave ours raw, but to get an al dente experience, a few minutes over heat can help.

Allow to sit in the sink in a colander and toss with a pinch or two of salt.  This allows any excess liquid to leave the zoodles so you don’t end up with a runny plate.

Toss with olive oil and herbs and garlic, or add pasta sauce and or meatballs!  The possibilities are endless.

]]> http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/14/preparing-zoodles/feed/ 1 vahuntergatherers zoodles peeling zoodles zoodles zoodles zoodles http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/14/preparing-zoodles/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VirginiaIsForHunter-gatherers/~3/qLefhzj52u4/ http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/11/spicy-tomato-basil-sauce-guest-post-nom-nom-paleo/#comments Sat, 11 May 2013 18:15:44 +0000 Brent Schrader (virginia is for hunter-gatherers) http://vahuntergatherers.com/?p=1454 ]]> The following is a guest post we did about a week ago for Nom Nom Paleo.  Michelle, who maintains the blog with her family, is a cooking/blogging sensation and are one of the handful of places we first turned to when trying to figure out how to “be paleo” [more gushing below].  Be sure to check out her regular posts and giveaways, as well as download her iPad app–it’s beautiful, full of great content, and worth buying an iPad (or iPad mini) for if you don’t already have one.

Once upon a time, when Heather and I first started our own documented cooking adventures, we were pretty lost.  Still in the initial sticker shock/grief period of, “but what can I eat,” we spent a lot of time scanning the internet looking for “paleo-friendly” recipes and meal ideas.  Michelle’s blog was one of the first I came across, as I was a pretty intense tumblr addict.  Once I moved to Virginia and was juggling two jobs, tumblr went away, but nomnom stayed.  I later found out the connection between fitbomb and nom nom paleo, and I was excited to see a pair that really thought about fitness and health when it comes to movement and diet.  Plus, there’s the added benefit of following the family adventures since I’m not quite ready to enlist my own little army of helpers.

A light-bulb really went off for me when I found out about zoodles.  When I found them on Michelle’s blog, I almost immediately went out and bought the same Kuhn Rikon Julienne Peeler on Amazon.  We had tried spaghetti squash, but I think it’s kind of a pain in the backside, comparitively.  This was a moment in my own paleo evolution where things just got a whole lot easier.  I reached out to Michelle a few weeks ago on a whim to say thanks and to ask for any Bay Area advice while I was there over a long weekend for a conference. Not only did she suggest an amazing place to get a burger (Thanks 4505 meats!), she also asked if I would like to share something with her great community of readers.  After the initial shock and subsequent dance party, I thought it only appropriate to make a sauce to accompany the zoodles that opened my eyes to a new world of food.  This is a damn good sauce, and I think you’ll enjoy it.

Ingredients
1 1/4 C white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes in water
2 Tbsp fresh basil, separated
1/8 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp coconut aminos
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 pinches black pepper

Method

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Meanwhile, finely chop about 1/2 a medium white onion, or as much onion until you have 1 1/4 C.

Place onion into saute pan and cook through for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the onion in olive oil and avoid burning the onion.

Press and mince 3 cloves of garlic…

…and place into saute pan with the onion at the 8 minute point, and continue to cook for 3 additional minutes, mixing regularly.  Should the onions start to brown more than slightly, turn the heat down to low.

Move sauteed onion and garlic into a deep-sided skillet, and add the two cans of diced tomatoes.  At this point, add in celery salt, oregano, bay leaf, coconut aminos, red pepper flakes (if you like a little spice), and black pepper.

Also add 1 Tbsp of the fresh basil to the sauce.  Simmer on medium to medium-low heat with a splatter guard for 45 minutes.

Pro tip: If you roll your basil leaves and then slice (my mom pointed out this is called a chiffonade), you get nice pretty strips that are great for garnish as well as adding it to dishes.

Stir the sauce occasionally while it cooks, and adjust the heat down if it starts to stick to the bottom of the skillet.

After the 45 minutes has passed, remove the bay leaf, add the second Tbsp of basil, stir, and serve with zoodles, spaghetti squash, or a spoon.

The end result is a thicker sauce, but if that is not your style, you can always add in some water or chicken stock one Tbsp at a time until you reach the desired consistency.  Also, you can always throw this into your blender or food processor if you’re not a fan of chunky sauces.  However you decide to finish this sauce, you will enjoy it.

Now that we’ve gone through what we hope is the last of the bi-polar transition to spring and summer, it is a perfect time to dust off the grill and enjoy some outdoor cooking.  Growing up in Wisconsin, weekend brat cookouts were common, even well into the winter.  We don’t grill as much as I did growing up, but I still love taking the time to be outdoors, and the smell of the grill.  

 Ingredients
1 lb beef chuck, cubed
6 large mushrooms, quartered
1 red and yellow pepper, cored and quartered
1/2 large white onion

For the marinade
6 Tbsp coconut aminos
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp chili paste
4 cloves garlic, pressed

Method

Soak your skewers (if using bamboo) in water for at least 30 minutes.  Prepare vegetables and meat and place on skewers in alternating order.

When completed, brush with marinade and allow to sit covered for an hour.  Set up your fire so that it is at medium heat (if gas) or approximately 350ºF when closed if using charcoal.

Place skewers on the grill and turn every 2-3 minutes until cooked through to your desired consistency.  It took ours about 20 minutes.

Now that we have the weather for it, get outside and start grilling!  To keep up with us and our posts, please subscribe, as well as hang out with us on Facebook and Twitter.

]]> http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/08/grilled-beef-kabobs/feed/ 1 vahuntergatherers DSC_1102 DSC_1031 DSC_1028 DSC_1037 DSC_1040 DSC_1096 DSC_1104 http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/08/grilled-beef-kabobs/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VirginiaIsForHunter-gatherers/~3/_7ha_AcOINo/ http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/05/05/the-couple-that-cooks-together-paleo-parents-guest-post/#comments Sun, 05 May 2013 16:00:19 +0000 Brent Schrader (virginia is for hunter-gatherers) http://vahuntergatherers.com/?p=1431 ]]> This is a guest post we did for Matt & Stacy at the Paleo Parents.  If you aren’t already aware of the amazing things that they are putting out, go ahead and check out their website, podcast, and books.  I’m sure I’m already preaching to the choir here, but if not–go check it out and thank me later.

Quality time is a big part of any relationship–without it, it’s easy for little things to get in the way of the bigger picture and sit under the surface until you end up in a huge fight about not looking both ways before crossing the street (true story).  When Heather and I first met, we were both in grad school and working full time. Since, we’ve
managed to move twice and work more than when we were managing school.  Working 60+ hours a week each makes it difficult to carve out time with and for each other, especially because my second job occurs on evenings and weekends.

We just celebrated our 3-year anniversary, and I’ve taken time to really reflect on the things that make us work as a team. One of the things that has really helped us grow is our time in the kitchen.  We, like others, once made the argument that, “Cooking takes too long–let’s just order in.”  I learned the hard way that is hard on both the waist and the wallet, packing on 50+ pounds in the first year we were together.  So, about a year and a half ago, I decided to make the switch, and made a little website as an accountability measure.  Heather will admit, she was hesitant at first; but she supported me and eventually realized the dietary changes were good for her too (her allergies are more manageable now).

Below is a distillation of some of the life lessons that we’ve learned in the kitchen.  Not only do we get to spend time
together, it is making the choice to better our health and wellness, and hopefully reduce stress.  Our diet and fitness can only do so much if we’re stressed out of our minds.

Communication.  When we first started cooking together, it was blatantly clear that we didn’t understand how to communicate with eachother.  Second trips to the grocery store for missed ingredients, burnt food, and tense quips were pretty common.  We knew what we were trying to accomplish in general (e.g., food), but we didn’t do a great job of explaining the details.  I realized I essentially expected Heather to read my mind, even if she had never seen the recipe. Heather going out to the market for salsa for our weekly chili 15 minutes after we just got back from the store because I forgot to write it down is just one of many examples of miscommunication getting in the way of cooking.  (Now, we check our list–even the “what do we want to get done today” lists–twice.) We laugh about it now, and I still lose my temper sometimes; but now, it’s simply because I’m a perfectionist.  Our time playing chef and sous chef really helped us figure out how to better communicate both in and outside the kitchen.

Variety is the spice of life.  With Heather being born of Depression-era parents, and me just being a creature of habit (read: lazy), we rarely ventured outside our handful of easy, comfort foods.  We weren’t picky eaters, but we weren’t adventurous cooks.  Her dinners for nearly a year consisted of salad or pasta.  Meanwhile, I was addicted to take-out.  Since our discovery of paleo/ancestral health, our palates and cooking adventures have exploded: partly out of necessity, and partly out of a desire to keep faithful to this change that made us look and feel better.  It turns out Heather loves Brussels sprouts and asparagus.  We’ve also figured out that horseradish mustard is a kitchen essential (not to mention bacon!).  We also found out we love bison, hasenpfeffer, and chicken feet for stock. We even figured out hot and sour soup!  These experiences have made us more adventurous, even going to meet-ups at Matt and Stacy’s that have connected us with great, like-minded friends.

Teamwork.  Turning the turkey when we had our families over for a paleo Thanksgiving was super difficult–not only was it our first turkey (and a 20-pound one at that), but it was also the first time that we had both our parents and family members under one roof for more than an hour. I know you’re thinking we’re crazy, and you’re right, but it’s through these projects that we have been able to take on much more than we could alone.  Not just that, but we wouldn’t have any great pictures of our making orange-cranberry bread or scallops if either of us had tried to do this alone.  Our cooking, recipe crafting, and photo taking require teamwork.  We work better together because we cook together.

Living in the moment.  We don’t get it right 100% of the time the first (or even second) time around.  Baking a juicy, flavorful chicken is super easy–once you’ve figured out the formula.  Caramelizing onions is easy–except when it’s not easy.  We’ve missed out on making great meals great because we rushed through or fell asleep at the ladle.  We all have our version of this story–in cooking and life.  Our time in the kitchen has made us more present, and this has paid incredible dividends.

These are just a handful of the things I’m thankful for learning and improving since making our health and cooking a priority.  We savor our meals and our time together just a little bit more. Even the tedious things like making the grocery list, prepping meals for the week, and packing lunches (and dinners) are small moments of quality time.

We’re just beginning of our journey, and we know there’s plenty more to learn. I only hope this helps others out there revisit what’s important in life. Ask a loved one to cook with you.  The cooking partnership is a pretty fantastic one, and one with real benefits (like a pizza inspired pasta dinner).  Not a bad return on investment if you ask me.

Get in there with your loved ones, get your hands dirty, and enrich your health and your life!

Ever since my mom gave us her old wok, we’ve been attempting to bring it into use more often.  We’ve made hot and sour soup, which was really fun, but the ingredient list was pretty extensive.  I know I’ll make it again, but I wanted to attempt something less demanding with this awesome cooking tool.  

When we got home Thursday night, we were looking for something quick and easy to throw together.  A quick trip to Whole Foods for grass fed stew meat was all we needed.  Everything else we had at home.  This stir-fry is a pretty straight forward preparation.  The thing that took the longest was likely preparing the stew meat.  If you don’t have a wok, a high-walled skillet will also do the trick.  Also, feel free to add/substitute vegetables in this recipe.  The amazing thing about stir-fry is that you can mix up just about anything!

Ingredients
1 lb grass fed beef stew meat, thinly sliced into strips
1 Tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp coconut vinegar
1/2 large white onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 C loosely packed spinach
1 Tbsp chili paste
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp arrowroot powder (optional)

Method

Cut beef into thin strips, and marinate with coconut aminos and vinegar (apple cider vinegar will work as a substitute).  Marinate for 10-15 minutes.  While marinating, prepare the red bell pepper and onion.

Heat coconut oil in your wok over medium-low heat.  Add beef and sauté until all sides are browned, approximately 5-7 minutes.

Add onion and continue to sauté for an additional 5 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add red bell peppers for an additional 3 minutes.

FInally, add spinach and chili paste for a final 1-2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.  You may also use the arrowroot powder to thicken the juices into a sauce, but it’s not mandatory.  This is great alone, or could be served over a bed of cauliflower rice.

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We came up with this bread recipe a month or two ago following our invitation back to the Paleo Parent’s house for another great pot luck, this time to celebrate their upcoming book, Beyond Bacon.  As adamant pork lovers, we couldn’t help but make something with bacon in it.  Taking Heather’s awesome orange-cranberry bread as a template, we decided to go a little further.

This was really tasty and had a nice spice to it.  I could imagine toasting a slice of this to have in the morning with breakfast, or as a substitute for corn bread with chili or another Spanish-style dish.

By the way, if you haven’t already pre-ordered your copy of Beyond Bacon, you should probably get on that.  It will be here before you know it, and we wouldn’t want you to spend even a day not having it to inspire your porcine meal planning.

Ingredients
4 oz bacon (approximately 4 thick slices)
3 large jalapeños
6 large eggs
1/2 C ghee, melted
1 Tbsp ghee to grease your baking pan
1/2 C coconut flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 C water

Method

Preheat your oven to 400ºF, and while it preheats, slice your jalapeños and set on a baking tray with your slices of bacon.  Once preheated, roast for 10 minutes total, flipping bacon and jalapeño slices midway.

Allow to cool slightly, and deseed the jalapeño slices.

Place jalapeños and bacon into your food processor, and pulse thoroughly.

In a large bowl, mix together your eggs, water, and ghee, and then sift in your coconut flour, sea salt, and baking soda.

Fold the bacon-jalapeño mixture into the batter.

Grease baking dish with the tablespoon of ghee, and add batter.  Bake at 375ºF for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick can be cleanly inserted and removed.

This bread is delicious, but as it is very heavy on egg, it is best to keep refrigerated for storing if it doesn’t all get eaten in one sitting.

We don’t have soup often; but whenever we’re in the Yes Organic Market, I end up lingering in the soup aisle, almost drooling over the multitude of colorful boxes promising flavor-rich experiences in a bowl. Almost all of them have one thing or another that we generally avoid–soy by-products, canola oil, various preservatives and additives I can’t pronounce (let alone spell), etc.

Then, one day, I had one of those little “duh” moments when you realize something so obvious and simple you’re a little embarrassed to admit that you hadn’t thought of it before. I was going to make one of those soups. We had a ton of carrots from Costco in the fridge and I had been on a bit of a ginger kick, so I decided to try carrot-ginger soup.

Now, I should note that when it comes to soup, I prefer the thick and creamy kind. So, naturally, I made my carrot-ginger soup creamy. Plus, I love coconut milk and I think it’s an awesome vehicle for almost any flavor combination. What I like best about this soup creation is that it’s super versatile: smooth and soothing to have on a chilly day; but crisp and refreshing on a hot one.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp ghee
2 onions, minced
6 cups chicken broth (we suggest home-made when possible)
2 lbs carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp ginger, grated
1 and 3/4 cups of coconut milk (or 1 13.5-fluid ounce can)
1 Tbsp of lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Method

In a large pot, sauté the onion in the ghee over medium heat until translucent and soft.

Then, add the chicken broth, carrots and ginger. First bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into a food processor or blender and blend well.

Add lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder and coconut milk. Blend until smooth.

When Russ shared this recipe a month or two back, I was intrigued (usual response).  He always includes a brief, yet informative, history of a dish and what makes it stand out from just another meal on a plate.  What really caught me was his description of the cutlet, “The word cutlet is a bit of a culinary mystery – everyone has their own interpretation of what it means.”  While I’d like to say I try to experience as much as possible in terms of food, I couldn’t wholly appreciate what he meant by this sentence.  I was thinking, “Oh, so it’s like a burger with some seasonings and a sauce that’s not ketchup, mustard, or BBQ sauce.”  Wrong was I.  These were not at all like a hamburger, and I’m  glad they weren’t.  I still love my burgers, but this was a treat.

We’ve adjusted the recipe to forego the sour cream (we used the solids from a can of coconut milk) and opted for ghee over butter, but this still stands firm as a hearty and delicious meal.  Whether you follow Russ’ original recipe or our mild adaptation, I think you’ll be very happy with the results.  We followed Russ’ recipe (noting our substitutions) so please go spend some time on his site and get familiar with his work.  It’s worth keeping up to date on what Russ is up to.

Ingredients
For the cutlets
2 lb ground beef (we used angus because we were celebrating)
1/2 med onion, blended
3 cloves garlic, blended
1/2 tsp each salt, white pepper, ground mustard
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp ghee

For the sauce
1/4 C chicken stock
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp solids from full-fat coconut milk

Method

Blend your onion and garlic into a paste.  We got out Heather’s hand-me-down Osterizer blender.  It was pretty cool.

Melt your ghee over medium heat in a small saucepan and add the onion/garlic paste.  Simmer for about two minutes, and then remove from heat.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF.  Mix the onion/garlic/ghee mixture with meat and dry ingredients “gently” (we failed at this—go see Russ’s post for what it should look like) and form into 6 patties.  Place the patties onto a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes and then broil for 2.

While the patties cook, in a skillet simmer the tomato sauce, chicken stock, and black pepper on low for 20 minutes. After removing the patties from the oven, scoop 1-2 Tbsp of the fat/grease into the sauce.  Stir, add in the parsley and raise the heat to medium.  Mix in the coconut milk solids, and top on the patty.

Oh, and did you vote yet?  If it’s not after 12:01AM April 20th, go do that.

]]> http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/04/18/the-domestic-mans-russian-cutlets-%d0%ba%d0%be%d1%82%d0%bb%d0%b5%d1%82%d1%8b/feed/ 0 vahuntergatherers DSC_0846 DSC_0832 DSC_0831 DSC_0836 DSC_0838 DSC_0844 DSC_0849 http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/04/18/the-domestic-mans-russian-cutlets-%d0%ba%d0%be%d1%82%d0%bb%d0%b5%d1%82%d1%8b/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/VirginiaIsForHunter-gatherers/~3/r-GYPe89vQM/ http://vahuntergatherers.com/2013/04/17/fermented-health-salad/#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:45:07 +0000 Brent Schrader (virginia is for hunter-gatherers) http://vahuntergatherers.com/?p=1362 ]]>

When I was younger and just moved right outside of NYC from Wisconsin, my grandmother’s husband knew the city like the back of his hand.  He insisted on taking us to the 2nd avenue deli on a semi-regular basis.  When going to one of these restaurants with Grandpa Bill, you were told what you were going to eat.  We always were given a hot corned beef and a side of health salad.  I remember loving this lunch the few times I went, but it has been at least a decade since the last time I was there.

This may or may not resemble the health salad at the 2nd avenue deli, now that I am so removed from my last meal there, but I remember peppers, a brine-salt flavor, and lots of vegetables.  I left this to ferment for 2 weeks before eating, but I’m sure it would still be delicious after a few days.  I hope you’ll give this a shot, and even pass it along to some of your meatless amigos.

Ingredients
1/2 head cabbage thinly sliced (reserve one outer leaf)
1/2 red bell pepper and green bell pepper, thinly sliced and chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/3 red onion, thinly sliced and chopped
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp salt
brine solution of water and 1 Tbsp salt

Method

Using a sharp knife, or mandolin, prepare the cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, and red onion.  If you have a microplane, use that to grate the ginger and then add to the vegetables.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the vegetables with the tsp of salt, and allow to sit for a 5 minutes to extract some moisture from the vegetables.  Then squeeze the mixture thoroughly to release any excess moisture.

Place vegetables in a canning jar (we use the Ball wide-mouth 24oz canning jars), and use one of the outer leaves of the head of cabbage to contain the vegetables.  Then pour the salt water into the jar until covering the leaf.

We allowed it to ferment on the windowsill for 2 weeks, but I’m sure after 3 days this would be a delicious treat.  I really like sour, fermented foods, and if you do too, take the time to grow a beard or watch this video.

Once you’re ready to eat, feel free to scoop it out into a bowl and enjoy!  It will keep sealed in the refrigerator for at least a week.

AND, be sure to head over to Saveur’s 4th annual Best Food Blog Awards right now and vote for my friend Russ Crandall’s website, The Domestic Man, in the special diet category.  If you haven’t already seen his amazing website already, go do that, once you’ve voted.  The contest ends this Friday, April 19th at midnight.

If you need still convincing, I’ll have more proof tomorrow.  Stay tuned…