Buy My Books
Shop Chronicle Books
Archives
-
Categories
-
Connect with Vanessa
Copyright Information
The recipes and images on this site belong to Vanessa Barrington. Feel free to link here and if you’d like to use a recipe or image, please ask permission first. Thank you.Twitter Updates
- DIY Delicious and Heirloom Beans both featured on Amazon as a Kindle Big Deal until Aug 23rd http://t.co/YupbnPbB get them digitally! 2012/08/18
- New Recipe on the blog: Antipasti-style calamari salad http://t.co/vxAzXQfh 2012/06/11
- RT @ethicurean: Nice plug form @CKummer for great anti-waste cookbook "An Everlasting Meal" by @tamaradler #cfs12 2012/05/18
- RT @twyspy: My response to @Chef_Keller's "radical" take on flavor vs. sustainability http://t.co/IVTqJuXb @grist (please chime in!) 2012/05/18
Curtido & Raita from the Eat Real Festival
Thanks to everyone who attended my fermentation demo on Friday at Eat Real. I had a blast and it was great to see so many enthusiastic fermenters out there. As promised, here is the curtido recipe for those who did not get one and following that, a link to Nishanga Bliss' blog post about fermenting with her raita recipe. I can't recommend her blog enough, especially for people who want to learn more about nutrition and how to eat deliciously. She's a macrobiotic chef, an acupuncturist and she's working on her doctorate right now.
Curtido
Time Required: 15 minutes active; 3 to 5 days passive
The technique for making curtido is exactly like sauerkraut. Curtido is a great foil for rich, heavy, meaty, or fatty foods, which is why it’s so good on pupusas. I like it on tacos and beans too.
Makes 1 quart
1 medium head green cabbage, sliced as thinly as possible
1/2 a small onion, peeled and sliced thinly
2-3 carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
1-2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 jalapenos, cut in quarters lengthwise, seeded and sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed
Put the cabbage, onion, and carrots in a large bowl. Add the salt and, with clean hands, toss and squeeze the vegetables until they start to soften and release their liquid (about 5 minutes). Add the jalapenos and oregano and toss to distribute. Pack the mixture tightly into a one-quart, wide-mouthed glass Mason jar, pushing down on the vegetables with a wooden spoon or your fingertips with as much force as you can until the level of liquid rises above the vegetables. Put a smaller jar inside the glass jar to keep the vegetables submerged. Cover with a clean tea towel and secure with a rubber band.
Leave out at room temperature for about 3 to 5 days. Check once daily to be sure the vegetables stay submerged, pushing down on them if needed. Taste daily starting on the 2nd day. The curtido is ready when it tastes good to you. When it’s to your liking, fasten the lid and transfer it to the refrigerator. It will last months in the refrigerator. It doesn’t really go bad but will soften over time.
Nishanga's Blog
Me and fill-in MC, Michelle Fuerst, having a good time in the Scratch Kitchen.
Photo Credits: Susan Fleming