Last week I harvested the first Testa di Ferro, an Italian savoy cabbage. The leaves are crinkled like Napa cabbage and I thought it might be perfect for making Kim Chi.
Testa grows beautifully in a wide range of climates. It's also a compact size plant that's perfect for container gardens. They're harvestable at 2.5 months and range from 2 to 3 lbs. Seeds are available from Gourmet Seed.
Dr. Ben Kim has a wonderful recipe for Kim Chi on his blog.
The recipe calls for using apple, pear and onion puree instead of sugar - it's a much healthier alternative to the commercially produced Kim Chi available from the market.
Here are suggestions I have after making Dr. Kim's recipe:
Unless you like it really salty, rinse the cabbage 1 or 2 more times
to remove more of the salt.
Add 1/2 of the crushed garlic - then add more to taste.
Add 1/2 of the hot pepper mixture - then add more to taste.
Bianca di Lucca Onions,
Cyklon Polish Paprika and New Ginger
Instead of the Ko Choo Kah Rhoo hot pepper flakes called for in the recipe, I used the Cyklon Polish Paprika that I made last summer. Cyklon is a hot paprika pepper, similar in heat level to a jalapeno. I also used some of the ginger and green bunching onions that were growing in my garden.
Dr. Kim's recipe was easy to make and the results were hot and tasty.
