Year round - COOL AND JUICY WHITE KIMCHEE - T'ONG PAECH'U PAEK KIMCHI

An all season style kimchee with a light, crunchy texture, this pickle may be compatible with most Asian and Western foods.

INGREDIENTS:
2 large Napa Cabbages, about 4 lb (2kg)
7 oz (200g) coarse sea salt
1 gallon (5 liters) water
2 julienned radishes
2 cups scallions, cut into 1 ½ in (4cm) strips
1 medium-sized carrot, julienned
5 large cloves garlic, finely shredded
1/3 cup finely shredded fresh ginger
1 cup Korean watercress (minari), cut into 1 ½ in (4cm) lengths
4 chestnuts, boiled, peeled and shredded
3 Korean or Chinese dates, thinly shredded
½ Korean pear (nashi) or Beurre Bosc pear, peeled, sliced and julienned
1 tsp dried cloud’s ear mushrooms, soaked in water until soft and shredded
1 tsp pine nuts
1 tsp sugar

HOW TO MAKE:
1. Trim and discard the cabbage’s outer leaves. Cut it in half lengthwise from the top down 1/3 of the length toward the root end. Hold both parts of the cabbage firmly and pull it in half. Repeat the process with the remaining cabbage.
2. To make the brine, dissolve 5oz (140g) salt in the water. Soak the cabbage halves in the brine for 16-18 hours or overnight. Cover the container with a saucer to completely immerse the vegetables. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again.
3. To make the stuffing, in a large enough mixing bowl, mix together gently the radish, scallions, carrot, garlic, ginger, watercress, chestnuts, dates, pear, mushrooms, pine nuts, sugar (if desired) and the rest of the salt (teaspoons). Toss gently.
4. Fill the cabbage leaves in layers with the stuffing. Take 2 of the outer leaves of each cabbage half and wrap around the cut side to hold everything together. Place in the pickling container. Cover, and sit for 2-3 days for fermentation in a cool spot. The kimchee ferments rapidly.

Note: “Cloud’s ear mushrooms”(Auricularia polytricha) are know as stone mushrooms in Korea. These grow on mountain rocks and stones, and are usually sold dried from Asian grocers. (they are sometimes available fresh). The thin and small, black, crinkled pieces swell up to three times their size when soaked in cold water.