White Kimchi with White Nectarine

After I harvested this massive napa cabbage from the garden (can you believe I grew this from seed?!), I knew I had to make something special with it. Red kimchi — been there, done that. How about a refreshing Fruit & Supper take on white kimchi with summer’s finest fruit?

Fragrant stone fruit (my favorite!) are overflowing at the farmers market right now and as I’ve been enjoying the perfectly sweet and tart flavors of white nectarine, I thought it’d be the perfect pair to go along with the refreshing flavors of this mild, refreshing white kimchi. Let me know on Instagram what you think about this recipe…it’s become one of my favorites!

White Kimchi with White Nectarine (makes 1 large jar)

Ingredients

• 1 large napa cabbage, about 8 lbs
• 1.5 cups course sea salt

Nectarine “Salad” for Kimchi

• 2 nectarines, sliced julienne
• 1/2 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, sliced julienne
• 1 small Korean radish, sliced julienne
• 3-4 scallions, cut into 3 inch pieces
• 2 TBSP salted shrimp
• 1 TBSP fish sauce
• 2 TBSP garlic, sliced into thin long strips
• 1 TBSP ginger, sliced into thin long strips
• 1/4 cup raw pecans
• 2 TBSP pine nuts
• 3-4 dried jujubes, seeded and sliced into thin strips

Brine

• 1 small piece of dashima or Korean kelp about the size of your hand
• 2 tsp sweet rice flour
• 1 TBSP sea salt

Step 1: Prep brine. Soak dashima kelp in 5 cups of water and set aside.

Step 2: Brine cabbage. Cut cabbage into quarters and wash well, removing any dirt. In an extra large bowl, dilute 1/2 cup of course sea salt with about 1 cup of water. Rinse cabbage quarters in the solution while also seasoning the thick white parts generously with the remaining cup of salt. Set aside to brine for at least 4-5 hours, turning the cabbage halfway so that every bundle gets properly salted.

Step 3: Make nectarine “salad.” An hour before cabbage is done brining, combine all of the “salad” ingredients in a large bowl. Taste and adjust according to your liking. It should be salty. Set aside.

Step 4: Wash and bundle. Rinse cabbage quarters 2-3 times in cold water to remove any remaining dirt and salt. After draining well, dress each cabbage leaf with nectarine “salad”including the salty liquid. Wrap cabbage into a tight bundle and place in airtight container. I highly recommend these vacuum sealed containers from Korea. It’s the only way my fridge doesn’t smell like kimchi!

Step 5: Finish brining liquid. Remove dashima kelp from water that’s been soaking. In a small sauce pan, mix sweet rice flour and 1/2 cup of the dashima water on low heat until it forms a thick paste. After it has cooled slightly, add paste to the rest of the dashima water. Season with 1 TBSP sea salt. Mix well.

Step 6: Ferment. Pour dashima rice liquid over bundles of cabbage and press down to remove any air pockets. Seal the containers well and let sit at room temperature in a shady spot for 2 days and then into the fridge to continue fermenting. After about 7-10 days, the kimchi should be well-fermented and ready to eat. Enjoy!