Fermentation is a process that I found intriguing but intimidating, and it took several months before I gathered enough courage to begin trying it for myself.  First I read Michael Pollen’s Cooked,  next was Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions, and then I dug even deeper in Sandor Katz’s The Art of Fermentation.  Still, the idea of leaving food out at room temperature for days, even weeks, seemed frightening to me.  Finally one of my best friends got me motivated to give it a try.  She has four kids and homeschools but has somehow managed to incorporate fermentation into her regular kitchen routine.  After having tried several batches of ferments myself now, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover the relative simplicity and ease of the whole process.  Since our CSA share has exploded lately with all kinds of fresh produce,  fermenting seems to be the perfect solution when there’s a bit more than needed for the week.  So far our favorite ferment has been kimchi, usually made with napa cabbage, but this time I used kale and radishes from our CSA share.  Turns out kale and radishes make a wonderful kimchi as well.  Like a good sriracha sauce, kimchi seems to go with everything and makes great a condiment to accompany a wide variety of dishes.

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