Recipe | Christmas Kraut

It’s worth taking time in late November or early December to make this good-for-your-gut sauerkraut with a festive twist

MAKES APPROX 1kg

1 red cabbage, quartered then finely shredded
1 thumb fresh ginger, grated
Zest and juice of 1 orange or 2 clementines
150g fresh or dried cranberries
2 tsp mixed spice
2g sea salt for every 100g
12 fresh bay leaves

1 Put the cabbage and ginger in a large bowl, then grate in the zest of your orange or clementines. Halve the fruit and squeeze in the juice. Next, add the cranberries and spices.

2 Weigh the mixture and add 2g sea salt per 100g veg/fruit mix. Fold the salt through to distribute. Then, scrunch together to help soften the cabbage and massage the salt in.

3 Spoon the juicy cabbage mix into a 1kg jar, or a mixture of smaller jars, adding it little by little and packing down each layer as you go. It’s important to exclude as much air as possible. Pour any leftover brine in the bowl over the cabbage.

4 Use the bay leaves (overlapping them) to fully cover the compacted cabbage. Add a pinch of salt to the leafy cap and fill the jar right to the top with water. Screw an airtight lid onand place it on a plate (to catch any juices that bubble over during fermentation). Transfer it to a dry spot, at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.

5 Let the kraut ferment for two weeks at room temperature, then eat straightaway, or store at room temperature in a dark, cool place for up to 1 year (check occasionally and top up with an added pinch of salt and water to come right to the top of the jar, if needed).

Cook’s note: Refrigerate once open. This kraut will happily keep for weeks in the fridge.

This recipe for Christmas Kraut is from our December Home Economics feature, which also includes recipes for an upside-down turkey with all the trimmings, Boxing Day pasties, winter Waldorf salad, turkey, lemon and thyme risotto, turkey skin crackling and parsnip skin crisps. The recipes are by Rachel de Thample and the photography is by Ali Allen.

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Recipe | Kombucha

Tea’s good for so much more than a cuppa and a sit down. Try this simple and healthful kombucha

You will need:
2 organic green tea bags
2 organic black teabags
200g granulated sugar
1 medium scoby and starter water (you can make your own or buy them here happykombucha.co.uk/collections/kombucha-scobies)
2.5 – 3ltr glass jar
Tightly coven cloth (a tea towel will do)
Elastic band

How to make

1.  Add 1.8 litres of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

2.  Remove from the heat and add the sugar. Stir to dissolve then add the teabags and allow to cool.

3.  Once cooled, remove the teabags, without giving them a squeeze, and pour into your glass jar.

4.  Stir in the starter water then carefully add the scoby with clean hands. Leave a 5cm gap at the top then place the cloth over the top and secure with an elastic band.

5.  Ferment for 7-days at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, but not in a cupboard as it needs air. The scoby may float around and a new one will form at the top and the two may join together, this is just part of the fermentation process.

6.  After 7 days start tasting your kombucha daily by pouring a little into a cup. When the taste is the right mix between tart and sweet (this can take up to 10 days) the kombucha is ready. Remove the scoby and pour the kombucha into smaller bottles

Cook’s note:  To add flavours you can add fruit, herbs and spices for secondary fermentation. Simply add the fruit to your kombucha, leaving it for several days before drinking before decanting into bottles. This will keep in the fridge for up to three months.

You can find a recipe for Kombucha chutney, as well as lots more ‘Magical Pickles’ in our November issue. The recipes by Rachel de Thample, from her book Fermentation: River Cottage Handbook No.18 (Bloomsbury) include Sea Shanty Fennel, Honey-Fermented Carrot Jam, Fermented Ketchup and Smoky Beetroot Kimchi.

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Recipe | Borlotti Beans, fermented tomato, basil & chickpeas

Fermentation is a great way to deal with a glut of veg or fruit and is actually very simple; it just takes a little planning. If you start this recipe four days ahead, you’ll get the maximum flavour from the fermented tomatoes.

Borlotti Beans, fermented tomato, basil & chickpeas

Serves 4

Vegan

250g podded fresh borlotti beans
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 4
1 celery stick, top removed, cut into 4
1 bay leaf
¼ bunch of thyme
1 tsp smoked paprika
100g non-dairy cream cheese
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 bunch of basil, leaves picked and stalks retained200g cooked chickpeas, roughly chopped
½ quantity of hummus* (½ tub shop-bought)
2 tbsp olive oil
Extra virgin olive oil, to garnish

* For homemade hummus:
240g tinned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
60g tahini
1 garlic clove
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
25ml olive oil
½ tsp agave syrup
½ tsp table salt
Freshly milled black pepper

For the fermented tomatoes:
1 tsp table salt
50ml rice wine vinegar
50ml balsamic vinegar
1 tsp agave syrup
1 tbsp tomato purée
6 seasonal ripe tomatoes

1 Start by fermenting the tomatoes. Mix all ingredients together, apart from the tomatoes, and add the basil stalks. Add 100ml of cold water.

2 Prick the tomatoes all over with a skewer, then place in a container or jar and cover with the liquid. Loosely cover and leave in a slightly warm, dark place for a minimum of 4 days.

3 Place the beans, carrot, celery, bay leaf and thyme into a medium saucepan. Cover with water, then place on a high heat. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 25–40 mins until soft (cooking time may vary depending on freshness).

4 Strain off the liquid from the pan, removing the carrot, celery and herbs.

5 Place the smoked paprika, cream cheese and tomato purée into a bowl. Whisk well. Place in a pan with the cooked borlotti beans and heat through.

6 To make the hummus, blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until a smooth paste, adding 20–30ml water if needed. (Remember, you’ll only need to use half of this quantity for the finished dish.)

7 To assemble, chop the basil leaves, reserving a few for garnish, and mix with the chickpeas, hummus and olive oil, seasoning well. Place the hummus around the edge of the serving plate, then place the beans on top. Peel the skin from the tomatoes (it will come off very easily after the fermentation) and slice each in half. Arrange on top, drizzling over a little of the fermenting liquor. Garnish with the reserved basil leaves and olive oil, then serve.

Recipe from Planted by Chantelle Nicholson (Kyle Books).

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