The Modern Cook’s Year. Anna Jones

Apple and white miso kimchi

      This is a gentle kimchi; the apple, radish and white miso mellow the chilli and sharpness that comes from the fermentation. Fermented foods contain beneficial bacteria, which is important because we need a diverse population of bacteria in our gut for optimal health; I do notice the difference when I include some fermented foods in my diet (see Kombucha).

      Make sure you use a pure sea salt, as iodised sea salt will prevent this fermenting properly. Check the heat of your chillies, as they vary so much. I use one to two, depending on their heat, for a medium-hot kimchi, but if you like things hot you can use a few more. The amount of time it will take for your kimchi to ferment will depend on two things: the air temperature and the humidity. How fermented you like your kimchi is a very personal thing – I like mine fermented for about two weeks in the winter and only a few days in the summer.

      MAKES 4 JARS

      1 Chinese leaf cabbage (about 850g)

      4 spring onions

      2 tablespoons good sea salt

      1 mooli or kohlrabi (about 200g), or 200g radishes

      2 firm green apples

      2 teaspoons white miso paste

      1 clove of garlic, finely sliced

      2–4 red chillies, finely chopped (with seeds)

      a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

      Coarsely shred the cabbage into 2cm-thick pieces, finely slice the spring onions, and put them both into your biggest bowl with the salt. Scrunch the lot with your hands for 5 minutes until the cabbage has released a lot of water, then leave it for 2 hours to release all its water, massaging it another couple of times to help this process.

      Meanwhile, peel the mooli and cut it into thin 1cm-long matchsticks. Cut the apples into pieces about the same size – you can leave the skin on.

      Mix the miso with the garlic, chillies, ginger and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Once the cabbage has had its 2 hours, add the mooli, apple and miso garlic paste to the bowl of cabbage and its water.

      Put the kimchi and the liquid it sits in into a large jar or fermenting pot, taking care to pack the vegetables down firmly under the liquid so that no bits of vegetable are poking out, there are no air pockets and there are a few inches of space at the top of the jar for the air to escape.

      Cover the jar loosely with a lid, or, if you would prefer to close the lid to keep the smell in, make sure you open it up every day to let the air out. Leave the kimchi on your work surface for 2–3 days, checking every day to see how it tastes. This winter I fermented mine in a cool cupboard for about 2 weeks. Once it tastes good to you, put it into the fridge, where it will keep for several months.

      Ways to use your kimchi

      • In the kimchi soup here

      • In a toasted sandwich with a good sharp Cheddar

      • In the bao here

      • As a pickle on the side of your favourite bowl of noodles

      • Wrapped into summer rolls

      • To top some sriracha-spiked avocado on toast

      • Chopped finely and mixed with oil and lemon for a punchy dressing for a grain

      • As a base for a quick fried rice

      • Added to the end of a stir-fry

      • Fried in a pan before you add some eggs and scramble them

      Tonics and teas for cold days

      These are the things I make when winter sets in and coughs and colds strike; when we are cold to the bones or feeling a little depleted. I don’t intend these recipes to be medicine. I have no proof that they work but they make me and my family feel better. Perhaps it’s just the act of making something to nurture us, perhaps it’s the ingredients; whatever it is I keep making them.

      Turmeric, ginger and black pepper tea to warm

      For two cups, grate about a tablespoon of ginger into a teapot. Squeeze in the juice of 1–2 lemons (depending on their size), add half a teaspoon of ground turmeric or about a tablespoon of fresh grated turmeric, a tiny pinch of dried chilli flakes and a good few grinds of black pepper, then pour in 600ml of hot water. Allow it to cool a little before sweetening with a little honey (I use the raw stuff for maximum goodness); this will make sure the amazing properties of the honey aren’t killed by the boiling water.

      Magic golden turmeric honey paste for colds

      Mix 2 tablespoons of ground turmeric, or a small thumb of the freshly grated root, with 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper. Melt then cool 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add to the bowl and mix well then stir in 2 tablespoons of honey – raw is best. You can either eat this from the spoon or stir into hot water or warmed milk – I like oat milk.

      Carrot, ginger and red chilli juice to lift and enliven

      For one glass, peel 6 carrots and a thumb of ginger. Cut the green stalk off 1 chilli and if you like things hot keep the seeds in; if not then remove. Put the whole lot though a juicer and serve over ice. If you like you can gently warm this juice, though don’t heat it too much or let it boil.

      Kombucha and kefir (here)

      These are great things to drink when you are feeling under the weather. I mix some turmeric and lemon into my kombucha and stir some of the golden paste above into my morning kefir. Both support healthy bacteria so are particularly great to drink if you are taking antibiotics.

      Cinnamon and cardamom for sore throats

      Mix 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon and the bashed seeds of a cardamon pod with 1 tablespoon of runny honey and 1 of melted, cooled coconut oil. Store in a glass jar at room temperature taking a teaspoon whenever you have a tickle in your throat.

      Vilcabamba cold cure

      A lady made this cold cure for me on a trip to Ecuador and it worked. Juice 6 oranges into a small saucepan, add the juice of 1 lemon and 1 cinnamon stick. Warm to almost boiling then leave for 10 minutes to steep. Once cooled add a little honey if you like.

      Lemongrass and three-chilli tea

      For 2 cups, roughly chop a good thumb of ginger, bash 2 lemongrass stalks and add to a pan with 1 red chilli, 1 green chilli and a pinch of dried chilli flakes. Add 1 litre of water and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 30 minutes, until it has a deep aromatic flavour. Now you can add a black or green tea bag and steep for 5 minutes before drinking. Sweeten with honey to taste.

      Make the Not-chicken soup.

      Ginger shots for the brave

      Use your juicer to juice enough ginger to make about 2 tablespoons of juice. Just knock it back and wait 10 minutes before drinking any water.

      Garlic shots for the braver

      Stick with me here. This doesn’t taste great but I am sure it’s helped me stave off a cold more than a few times. Finely chop 1 clove of garlic, put it into a small glass with 3 tablespoons of cold water, take a deep breath and knock it back. Don’t chew it. It might make you feel a little weird, but don’t be tempted to drink water for about 10 minutes.